It's About Time

Chapter 10.

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Hermione wasn't unaccustomed to stares. She had gotten quite a few every time she raised her hand to answer a question in class. And the time she'd been asked to the Yule Ball by none other than Viktor Krum, she was met with shocked stares by the rest of the student body. Not to mention that she was best friends, with Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived.

Hermione was definitely not a stranger to stares.

But this? This was unusual, even for Hermione Granger.

Every where she went… every move she made was followed by the critical eyes of the entire female population of Hogwarts. She could almost hear their thoughts as she passed, a thousand eyes trained on her passing form.

"What does James Potter see in her?"

"She's not even that pretty if you really look at her."

"He chose her over Lily Evans?"

Oh yes, she knew what they were thinking… and, of course, it made her uncomfortable… but Hermione had one thing they didn't have.

She had James.

She had never dreamed it could be but there it was. James wanted her. Not Lily. And not any other girl.

Hermione finally had what she wanted. After years of unrequited love, someone loved her back… and not just any someone… the James Potter.

The guilt that had plagued Hermione every time she locked eyes with Lily Evans had not subsided. She wasn't completely without a conscience. She was fully aware that her relationship with James was keeping he and Lily from falling in love and creating the future that she knew would bring Harry into the world.

Moral ambiguity…. was not one of the many subjects in which Hermione was well versed.

In all honesty, she couldn't help herself.

But surely Harry would want her to be happy? And when, or if, she ever returned to her own time… Harry would never have to know, right?

These were the words and phrases that she repeated to herself… never actually believing it… but letting it sink in just enough that she could enjoy every smile James sent her way and immerse herself in his smell every time he wrapped his arms around her, securing her against him.

It was still strange for Hermione to be the envy of every girl at Hogwarts. James always laughed his deep chuckle whenever she expressed this concern to him.

"Imagine the looks you'd get if we spent all our free time snogging like Sirius and Callie, eh?" He'd said, waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Looks?! More like death threats, James!" Hermione had laughed in response.

While Sirius and Callie had continued to, well…as Remus had put it, "allow their relationship to evolve" in the corridors between classes, James and Hermione had yet to progress beyond hand holding and cuddling in the common room.

Though, there hadn't truly been time for them to explore their affections further. Between James' meetings with the prefects and Quidditch practice along with Hermione's hectic study schedule, spare time was at a premium… and alone time was slim to none.

Hermione began to understand Sirius' exhibitionism in the hallways as probably the only time he and Callie could possibly find to spend with one another.

But she did wonder… when her eyes would wander during History of Magic… focusing on James' mouth… if he would be a good kisser. The answer was decidedly, yes. He wasn't so experienced as Sirius but James was nearly as confident and Hermione had no doubt of his skills in that department.

But how to get James alone? Away from his throngs of female admirers and marauding mates, James Potter may just prove to be everything Hermione had ever imagined him to be… and more.

She'd have to worry about James and his …. talents…. Another time though.

It was a crisp fall afternoon this particular Monday and Hermione was on her way to Dumbledore's office to further discuss her time turning predicament. After all, it wasn't every day seventeen year old girls from the future landed on the Hogwarts grounds.

"Sugar Quills," Hermione stated clearly to the stone gargoyles guarding the Headmaster's office.

They glided to the side, admitting her to the spiral staircase which she climbed steadily. She raised her hand to knock on the wooden door when a voice from within stopped her.

"Come in, Miss Granger."

'Dumbledore could put Mad-Eye Moody to shame with his ability to see through walls,' she thought with a smile as she pushed open the heavy door.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted her warmly, gesturing to the chair set before his desk.

She paused briefly to admire Fawkes upon his perch before taking her seat.

"Good afternoon, Professor."

"I trust that you have been conducting your research as we discussed?" He asked her, gazing over his half-moon spectacles with that penetrating gaze.

She flushed guiltily. In all honesty, she'd been putting her research second to spending time with James…

"I've… I have done some, Sir," she said meekly.

He nodded.

"Then, I would be correct in assuming that you have not found any information that will be of use to us in understanding how you came to be with us, in this time. Is that right?"

"Yes, Sir," Hermione answered, looking at her feet.

For a moment, Dumbledore simply studied her with his eyes. Hermione looked back at him sheepishly… fleeting thoughts of spending time with James rather than researching in the library sped through her mind.

Then, as hint of a smile flashed across his wizened visage, he spoke again.

"I see. Well, let us begin then at the most logical point, shall we?"

"Sir?" She questioned, her head cocked to one side quizzically.

Dumbledore's trademark blue eyes sparkled as he spoke again.

"The beginning, Miss Granger, is always the best place to commence one's journey, is it not?"

Hermione smiled at his familiar wit and nodded in understanding.

He continued, "Let us attempt to construct a basic understanding of what was occurring at the precise moment you departed from your own time and came to be here."

Hermione had shared quite a lot of information pertaining to the future with Dumbledore when she had first arrived in the past. He was aware that, in her time, she knew the descendants of some of the current students as well as, he, himself.

"Yes, Sir," she began, contemplating her words. "I was in London, at the home of Siri- … um…. my best friend's Godfather. We had been searching for information on horcru- … I mean, information on a certain Dark Wizard…. for… for school."

Dumbledore's expression seemed to say that he had comprehended everything… even the words she had deliberately omitted.

"From where were you obtaining this information, Miss Granger?"

"A library. The private library of a family that had once held ties to the dark arts."

He leaned forward slightly in his chair.

"Is this where you were when you were pulled into the past?"

"Yes, Sir," she repeated. "I had been attempting to translate a book that was written in a form of Ancient Runes I hadn't seen before."

"How much were you able to decipher from this book?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," She responded apologetically. "I had only translated a few lines when… it happened. One moment, I was reading and the next I was falling… in a manner of speaking."

Dumbledore studied her once again in silence, his index fingers pressed to his mouth in thought.

"I'm sorry I'm not more help, Professor," Hermione said sincerely.

The Headmaster smiled tenderly.

"Miss Granger, I think you are to be excused from any such concerns considering the extenuating circumstances that brought you to us in the first place."

Hermione smiled. She opened her mouth to speak but Dumbledore raised his hand and she fell silent.

"I think that is rather enough for today. I shall allow you to consider any additional information that you feel may be of use to us which we may discuss at our next appointment."

Hermione stood, feeling slightly abashed… that she had let him down.

"Yes, of course, Sir."

As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her once more.

"You may want to avoid the third floor corridor as you leave. I think you'll find that anyone who enters the hallway is suddenly stricken with the most determined of tickling sensations. Who, may I ask could be behind such a terrible act?"

As his question was clearly rhetorical, he dismissed Hermione with the tiniest of winks.

She shook her head in disbelief as she exited the office. Dumbledore's all-knowing capability never ceased to amaze her.

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“You fell asleep in the library?” Ron asked dubiously.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. “Yeah… I was pretty tired. I didn’t get back to our room until you’d already gone to sleep.”

“Must’ve been,” Ron said contemplatively. “Then, where were you this morning?”

“This morning?” Harry posed the question, stalling for time. “I… well, the weather was nice… so, I went out flying for a bit down on the Quidditch pitch.”

“Without your Firebolt?” Replied Ron, curiously.

When Harry looked back at his red-headed friend vacantly, Ron provided further information.

“Your Firebolt was still in the cupboard in our room this morning…”

“Uh… oh yeah. I used one of the old school brooms. I didn’t want to wake you, so I just dressed and headed out,” said Harry trying his hardest to sound nonchalant.

Ron nodded slowly, processing this information.

“Right. Well, you ought to be tired then since the night before last you spent reading through ‘Hogwarts: A History’… cover to cover.”

“Huh?” Harry responded automatically. Then quickly recovering, “Oh right! I was hoping that there would be some useful information in there, the way Hermione was always referencing it.”

Harry knew he was a devastatingly bad liar, especially when it came to his best friend. He didn’t want to lie to him but he was positive this was a better solution than explaining to Ron where he had actually been spending the past few nights.

Besides, his reconciled relationship with Ginny was still so new that he wasn’t sure either of them would be ready to discuss it just yet. And even then, Ron would be exempt from any and all details concerning how and when this reunion came about. Harry had absolutely no desire to face the wrath of all seven Weasley men should they find out that he had “corrupted” their Ginny.

“And…?” Ron pressed on.

“And?” Harry repeated in confusion.

“Did you find anything? In the book?”

“Right, the book. Um… no. Nothing new,” Harry supplied rapidly.

Ron laughed incredulously, shaking his head at his distracted friend, “And I thought I was thick.”

“Shhhhh!”

The reprimand from the librarian, Madam Pince, successfully silenced him. The two boys turned back to sorting through the stacks of books piled around them.

After what could easily have been hours with their noses in dusty books, they were interrupted by an eerily recognizable, “Hem, Hem.”

The breath caught in Harry’s throat and Ron dropped the book he was holding, causing the pile beside him to cascade onto the floor. They both looked up to see Ginny laughing silently.

“That was just cruel, Gin,” Ron stammered, slightly shaken. He looked over at Harry who was nevertheless grinning broadly at a blushing Ginny. The two were so clearly and completely lost in one another, noticeable even to Ronald Weasley. Hermione would have been proud.

Comprehension, at last. So, that was where Harry had been disappearing for the past few days. Wordlessly thanking the heavens that he’d been spared having to find out by catching them in the act, Ron decided to do without the “big brother” act… For now.

Instead, he opted for the stern trademark Weasley visage at both of them, conveying that he wasn’t going to be fooled that easily.

His expression knocked the smile off Harry’s face instantly while Ginny looked poised ready to enter into a full fledged sibling battle right there in the library.

“Relax, both of you,” Ron sighed. “Just don’t do it in front of me and we’ll be fine.”

Harry eased visibly… as it turned out, however, too soon.

Ron turned to him, with a finger raised in his direction, he added, “And you… you’d better not find yourself ‘falling asleep in the library’ again, get it?”

Nodding vigorously, Harry gulped. His wide eyes shifting from Ron’s fiercely pointing finger to Ginny, who was fighting a grin.

Ron lowered his hand seeing that he had garnered the reaction he’d been going for.

“Now, that is settled… anyone else hungry?”

Harry groaned aloud, rolling his eyes. ‘It could have been much worse,’ he reasoned to himself.

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The door to the Hogwarts kitchens flew open as four raucously laughing boys hurled themselves inside the safety of the hidden room and collapsed onto the floor.

They each struggled to catch their breath, ragged from a combination of running through the school corridors and their ferocious laughter.

"Close it, Wormtail! Hurry!"

The door slammed shut behind them.

"That was a close call, eh?"

"I thought Filch had our number that time, Padfoot!"

"Did you see the look on Malfoy's face?!"

"Did I? I've never seen him smile before? It looked genuinely painful for him."

Gasping for breath, Sirius stood, brushing himself off. "Well, whoever thought of that Tickling Charm is a genius in my book," he laughed.

James pulled himself to his feet as well and smiled broadly. "I believe, Padfoot, that it was your brilliant plan."

Sirius cupped his chin in feigned contemplation. "You know, Prongs? I believe you're right. I'm too gifted for my own good, if you ask me."

"Then it's a good thing no one asked you," chuckled Remus, as he too stood up. "Heaven forbid, you begin to think highly of yourself."

Sirius erupted again in his characteristic bark-like laugh, throwing his arm around Remus' shoulders.

"Moony… you'll be pleased to hear that your sarcasm did not go unnoticed."

With an obvious look to James over his shoulder, Sirius continued, "And as long as we're discussing things that did not go unnoticed... Prongs? Wormtail? Did either of you happen to observe that Moony here, let a certain Ravenclaw sixth year pass through the corridor unaffected by our exceptional Tickling Charm?"

Remus' face immediately flushed bright crimson.

James put on a shocked expression. "He didn't? This couldn't have been the same young lady he stared at all through dinner?"

"If by 'all through dinner', you mean, all through every meal for the past month, then yes. The very same young lady, indeed!" Sirius persisted, barely containing himself.

Blushing furiously, Remus finally cracked.

"Alright, alright… I let her bypass the Tickling Charm," he confessed.

"And they say chivalry is dead!" James teased. "Our Moony is quite the gentleman."

Remus grinned wryly, "It must be the wolf in me… I sure didn't learn it from you mangy beasts."

His three friends were all but rolling on the floor in hilarity.

"We're the mangy beasts? The werewolf calls us mangy?!" Sirius exclaimed, struggling for breath from laughing so hard. "Be careful there, Moony old pal, your sarcasm may get you into trouble one day."

"You win this round, Moony," James yielded finally. “But I think we’re letting you off lightly, considering.”

"Yeah Remus, you sound like Evans, anyways!" Peter piped in.

The four friends sobered promptly at the mention of Lily. Three pairs of eyes turned to James.

Peter, afraid that he'd upset his friend, rushed to explain himself. "I mean… it's just that she always says –"

"That we're self-absorbed prats with no regard for anyone in this school besides ourselves?" James interrupted.

"Well… yeah," answered Peter slowly.

The boys exchanged glances amongst themselves and exploded in laughter again. Peter joined in cautiously after realizing that his remarks were forgotten.

"Evans can say what she wants about our supposed shortcomings," James said through his laughter. "Hermione and Callie don't seem to mind us too much, eh, Padfoot?" He nudged Sirius with his elbow.

Sirius' smile faded for the briefest of moments, but just as quickly, he was laughing again, though it sounded slightly forced to the heightened hearing of the werewolf in the room.

Remus and Sirius’ eyes met and a silent communication passed between the two friends.

Quickly changing the subject, Remus spoke up loudly, "Well, since we're here, why don't we have the school elves to fix us some food? Merlin knows how long we'll be hiding from Filch until he gets one of the Professors to reverse that Tickling Charm."

James agreed, waving a hand in the air gallantly, flagging down the nearest elf. "A feast for my friends, good Sir!"

As the Hogwarts elf scurried away to prepare a meal fit for the kings of the school, all that could be heard through the ensuing laughter was Remus' good-humored voice claiming, "Evans may just be onto something… you are a complete prat, James."

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That night, Ron, Harry and Ginny were still holed up in the library. They were now regulars there in the late hours of the evening. So much so, that Madam Pince had even allowed the three of them to begin taking meals at one of the back tables, knowing that their research was of the utmost importance.

Harry rubbed his eyes wearily. His energy levels were still not normal… he was tired all the time and, despite greatly enjoying his recent trysts with Ginny, in all honesty, he definitely was not feeling top notch.
“Alright, Harry?” Asked Ron, looking over the top of his parchment.

“Fine,” he lied. “Just –”

“Tired, we know,” Ginny finished, looking at him with concern. “I just don’t understand why none of Madam Pomfrey’s potions are helping.”

Harry just shook his head in annoyance. “I haven’t the faintest idea… but I sure hope the answer lies somewhere in one of these books,” he said sarcastically.

Their research was becoming a vicious cycle of monotony and a colossal waste of time. They couldn’t make inquiries as to potential horcruxes without Hermione’s help and they couldn’t get that unless they found a way to bring her back. The more books they read, the more futile their search seemed.

Ginny reached across the table and laid her hand on Harry’s arm. “Do you want to go back to the hospital wing or at least back to your room to rest?”

“No,” He said. “Thanks but I’d really feel better if I kept on here.”

They each reluctantly turned back to their work.

Without looking up, Ginny reached across the desk to retrieve a spare roll of parchment, knocking over one of the smaller piles of books in the process.

“Damn,” She cursed in a hoarse whisper, kneeling down to pick up the fallen items. Tossing them half-heartedly back onto the table, she suddenly paused mid-throw and gasped.

Ron and Harry both jumped up to see what had caused Ginny’s reaction. They both leaned down beside her as she was still knelt down, cradling an open book in her arms as she scanned the words at lighting speed, her brow furrowed.

“What is it, Ginny?” Ron asked eagerly.

She held up a finger, signaling him to wait a moment while she finished.

He and Harry shared an apprehensive look and waited. Finally, she stopped reading and looked up at them.

“I think I may have figured out what is causing the flashbacks!” She said excitedly.

She stood and placed the open book on the desk and began to recite aloud from the text.

“One of the many mysteries of Hogwarts Castle lies within the school’s very walls. For well over a thousand years, students have come to receive their education in magic from the world renowned institution. Over the years, it is believed that the Castle has absorbed an inordinate amount of the excess magical power that is created within, enlivening the very structure itself and allowing it a certain degree of awareness. In other words, there are magical imprints throughout the school, connecting memories of students and teachers past and present creating a divine web of history unique to Hogwarts, and Hogwarts alone.”

Ginny finished reading the passage and looked up at Harry and Ron.

“But what does… I mean, how does that explain...” Ron wasn’t exactly sure how to sort out this new discovery.

“I think, what it means,” Ginny began slowly, “is that Hermione really is here, at Hogwarts. This ‘web’ that is described in the book has connected our memories with Hermione’s… and is allowing us to sense her presence as though she were here with us now…. I think.”

“What book is that anyways? Where did it come from?” Ron asked.

Ginny turned it over in her hands to look at the title. Before she said a word, Harry realized what it was.

All three of them looked down at the familiar, worn leather-bound book.

“It’s Hermione’s…. ‘Hogwarts: A History’,” Ginny said, with a sad smile.

Ron shook his head, “I suppose it’s about time we put that one to use.”

The three friends looked at one another solemnly, feeling Hermione’s presence stronger than ever.

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"James! You're never going to learn to fill out this star chart if you don't pay attention!" Hermione scolded, though she was smiling broadly at the handsome boy beside her.

James twirled his quill in his hands nimbly, showing off his natural Quidditch skills.

"I have top marks in Astronomy, Hermione," he grinned at her. "Quit using my poor study habits as an excuse to get me alone."

Undoubtedly, his Quidditch skills were matched only by his aptitude for flirtation.

"In case you haven't noticed," Sounded a somewhat annoyed voice from across the room, "You two are hardly alone."

With one final flip of his quill, James turned in his seat at the familiar tone.

Sirius was seated at one of the study desks, a length of parchment stretched out in front of him, his quill paused mid-scrawl.

"Can't you write your love letters elsewhere?" James quipped to his friend in jest.

"I'm writing to my cousin, Andromeda," Sirius replied, his expression a confused fusion of a glare and a taunting smirk. "You know she and her daughter, Dora, hold the only claims to my undying affections."

At that comment, Hermione's head snapped up from her homework.

"But I thought…" she glanced between he and James. "I thought you were with Callie Truex?"

Transferring his gaze towards Hermione, Sirius said, "With?" As though daring her to define what she was implying.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Yes, with. Umm… you two are… well, you're always –"

"Snogging one another's brains out in every corner of the school?" Another familiar voice chimed in.

Three heads turned simultaneously towards the portrait hole where a fiery red head stood defiantly.

"Glad you noticed, Evans," Sirius said blankly, looking back down at his letter. He was not in the mood to try to get a rise out of the Head Girl, easy as it was.

James looked over at his best friend curiously. It was unusual for him to pass on the chance to rile Lily up. She, too, seemed taken aback by his unreceptive attitude.

"It's hard not to notice, Black," she stated simply, his lack of a rebuttal left her nothing with which to counter him.

The room fell silent while, James watched this oddly passive-aggressive exchange with great interest.

Realizing that Lily wasn't going anywhere, he spoke up. "Did you have anything else to add to your brilliant insight, Evans?"

Lily rolled her eyes to the ceiling and turned away from James to look in Hermione's direction. With a small forced smile, she said, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you that he'd like to meet with you again next week at the same time."

Hermione hadn't heard. She was busy scrutinizing Sirius who was deliberately focused on his letter.

Lily cleared her throat in an unsuccessful attempt to get her attention. She raised an eyebrow at James who was looking on, puzzled.

"Hermione?" Lily said, louder yet.

The brown haired girl looked up, hearing Lily for the first time.

"Sorry. What was that, Lily?" Hermione said blushing vaguely, looking round at James as she realized she'd been caught staring at Sirius again.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to meet with you again next week. Same time," Lily repeated, an amused expression dancing across her face.

"Oh. Ok, thank you, Lily," Hermione replied quickly.

Sirius was still ignoring their conversation, concentrating determinedly on his writing.

The Head Girl's amusement was now apparent and its meaning was not lost on James. Lily's communicative raised eyebrow arched ever higher… infuriating him for he knew precisely what it was she found so humorous.

Never one to allow himself to be one-upped by Lily of all people, he flared up at her with the first words to come to his mind.

"Well, Evans, unless you are stalling about attempting to be seen in our presence, you'd best be running along. Hermione and I have plans… and I'm afraid there isn't room for a third party, if you catch my drift."

A spiteful wink in her direction and her face instantly transformed from delight to fury.

Red with anger, Lily spun on her heel and marched towards the stairway to the girls' dormitories. Only those with very sensitive hearing could have heard her mutter an incantation in barely more than a whisper while waving her wand nimbly over her shoulder as she disappeared around the landing at the top of the stairs.

"James, that was cruel," Hermione reprimanded him, in a manner that reminded her immediately of the way she would speak to Harry and Ron. She wasn't entirely sure that Lily had deserved that retort from him.

"Eh, she had it coming," James said, trying to convince himself of that very thing. In fact, he, too, was perplexed that he'd been so blatantly rude to Lily. But her silent insinuation that Hermione had been focusing on Sirius and the triumphant smirk on her face had infuriated him.

'The nerve of her… just who does she think she is?' He speculated to himself.

He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to Hermione. "Let's just finish these star charts," he decided. "Then… possibly, we could see to those 'plans', I mentioned to Evans?" He hinted to her.

She simply smiled and blushed, pulling her nearly completed star chart towards her so she could fill in the few remaining blank spaces.

Taking his seat beside her once again, James too reached for his parchment and quill in order to finalize all of his responses as fast as he could… the tempting thought of exploring extra-curricular activities with Hermione motivated him to concentrate.

Across the room, Sirius grimaced at the thought. He wasn't sure how long he'd be able to put up with James' advances toward Hermione. Forcing the image of the two of them… together… out of his mind, he quickly put the finishing touches on his letter.

A few moments of silence passed before James announced loudly, "Done!"

"I just need one more moment, James," Hermione said, completely immersed in hastily finishing her work.

But her concentration was interrupted only seconds later by an outburst from James.

"What… what the hell?!" He yelled in total bewilderment, flailing his hands in the air and waving his parchment and quill wildly about. "Hey!"

His shouting did not cease as he continued to gesture violently about the room.

"The paper is stuck to my hand… and my quill… it won't come off!"

He pushed off his chair with his parchment burdened hand but found that the chair too became bonded to his skin.

"Ow!"

Hermione, jumping up from her forgotten homework, reached out to stop him from wielding his quill like a weapon but he jerked his hand away.

"No, I'll get stuck to you too!"

Sirius looked up at the pair, fighting the smile that threatened to crack his serious expression.

"I guess that'll put a damper on your plans, eh Prongs?" He said in mock sincerity.

James shot him an accusatory glare but Sirius held up both hands proclaiming his innocence.

"Don't look at me!" Sirius said honestly, then with a jerk of his head indicated the girls' staircase.

Realization dawned on James and he sent a deathly glare in the direction of the female dormitories.

"Dammit, Evans!" He shouted heavenward.

Sirius chuckled despite himself, fighting the urge to spout off a dozen puns involving the phrase, "sticky situation" and the like.

He stood and rolled up his parchment. Waving his wand over the paper, it sealed itself, and he threw it in his bag.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat but it looks like you'll be stuck here for a while and I have plans of my own with Callie," Sirius said, unable to completely abstain from a couple of jabs.

"Sirius, help me!" James begged.

Hermione was still trying to calm him down so he'd keep still. "Just stop moving for a moment so I can try a counter-spell!"

But James' uncontrolled motions caused his quill-bearing hand to become magically glued into her already unruly hair.

"Ahh!" Hermione cried out in pain. "Stop pulling, it hurts!"

Sirius watched for another moment before walking towards the portrait hole.

"You aren't really going to leave us like this, are you, Padfoot?" James asked incredulously.

After a moment's contemplation, Sirius' eyes landed on Hermione, whose face was wrenched in pain from James tugging at her hair, and said, "Sorry, can't keep the fair Callie waiting, can I?"

With that he stepped through the portrait hole, leaving James and Hermione behind to gape at one another in disbelief.

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