Love Lost, Not Forgotten

Hermione recanted the whole story of her parents’ retrieval to the boys, she still left out the part about her mother calling for Harry’s Godfather, she was still having a few issues of her own with that. Ron just sat there dumbfounded a bit, but Harry was watching his friend with calculating eyes. Hermione knew that he knew that she was hiding something. The dark haired boy looked at the witch and then to his redheaded friend, “Ron … go check on your mum, eh? She’s been in the kitchen for quite some time.”

Ron’s head jerked up towards the door and he nodded, he too was mourning the deaths in his family but he was still trying to be strong for his family. Standing he towered over Hermione for a moment before bending down, hugging her, and kissing her forehead, “Everything will work out, you said that they were in love before right?” Hermione’s head nodded, “Then they’ll fall in love again. Just give it some time.”

Ron left the room right as Harry pulled his chair in front of Hermione’s, effectively caging her in the decrepit piece of furniture she had chosen earlier. “Alright ‘Mione, I know you’re hiding something. Who’s the man your mum called for? An old colleague? A school friend?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders and looked towards a window. She, Harry, and Sirius had put some work into Grimmauld Place after the war; it no longer looked so lost and dark, though the furniture Sirius had insisted on keeping some of it. Sentimental reasons he said, now Hermione was wondering what those sentimental memories were.

“Mione, talk to me, Ron’s gone.”
“SheaskedforyourgodfatherHarry.”

Hermione’s voice was soft and quick as she blurted out the truth, it made Harry laugh which contagiously put a small grin on her own face, “What did you say Mione besides ‘Mushmushmush Harry?’”

Hermione looked up at Harry and searched his face. She shouldn’t be afraid to tell him, he would help right? She had always helped him, ever since they became friends. Before then even! In his eyes she found not just curiosity but worry, why was he worried? Did he really catch what she was saying and just wanted to hear it again?

“Sirius.”

Harry’s head tilted, “Sirius? Our Sirius? Sirius Bl—”
“Yes, Sirius Black. Harry, she can do magic!”

Harry stared at her a bit stunned, first off—how does Mrs. Granger know Sirius?—second—she can do magic?!

Harry jumped up, the chair when toppling backwards, and grabbed Hermione’s hand before she could stop him. The two ran up the stairs as fast as they could before he thrust her into the library and shut the door. He put up silencing wards and an intrusion ward; this was something that not everyone needed to hear. “Hermione … what are you saying?”

Hermione stood there, the last place she had spun when Harry threw her into the room and felt as if she were finally going to break. She started shivering, as if she were cold, and rubbed her hands against her arms for friction, “I told you, we reversed the spell, she looked at her hands and started screaming ‘What have I done?!’ that’s when she looked at me and asked where Sirius was.”

The Chosen one moved forward and put his arm around his friend leading her to the couch. Sitting her down he followed her and pulled her against him. No sooner had her head hit his shoulder did she start crying, “Why Harry? Why has she lied to me all of this time? I always thought that the dates were funny but I thought perhaps I was just very early and premature.”

Again Harry seemed a bit confused as he looked down at the back of his friend’s head, petting it lovingly he made what he thought were soothing sounds, “Dates of what?”

“My parents were only six month into their marriage when I was born, but Mum showed me pictures. Harry I was perfectly healthy!” She looked up at him and Harry was stunned.

She didn’t look like the same Hermione that cried when Ron had kissed Lavender in their sixth year. This Hermione was truly heart broken, her face was contorted a bit, her eyes darker than normal, it just broke his heart. Pushing her head back down he leaned his own against hers and kissed the top of her head, “Maybe there’s a good reason, Mione. You said your mum never lied right?”

She nodded.

“Perhaps then, perhaps she never knew she was lying.”

Hermione’s shoulder shrugged, “Then it doesn’t make any sense. Why marry a man if you don’t love him? Why not tell me about her magic? Why, Harry, why did she let me go through all that I did in Hogwarts alone if she knew about magic!”

“Its because her obliviation spell backfired and erased most of her memory.”

The two teens jumped and looked at the door. Remus Lupin stood there and looked between them, “Don’t be surprised … in your haste you forgot to secure the door. I just banished the intrusion ward, I need a book.” He moved towards the rows of books that lined the walls and didn’t deter when Hermione’s voice squeaked out.

“What do you mean ‘her obliviation backfired?’”

Remus sighed to himself as he put away the books he’d gotten earlier, “Just as I said Hermione. Her spell backfired, she wanted to forget Sirius but instead erase everything … including her own parents. Her mother said she never left her room after it, that she felt like a prisoner in the home or something. That’s why she ran away with Mr. Granger I assume.”

Hermione’s face stilled, she shook her head, “No! She loved my father!”

Remus turned around and shook his head, “She never loved Elliot Granger. He was the first person besides the healers who got to see her, she asked him to save her, to run away with her and take her away from the … oh how did she put it,” he touched his nose and furrowed his brow, “the crazies that were keeping her locked up and in a bed.” He nodded and turned back around but stopped as Harry spoke, “How do you know?”

The old wolf knew he wasn’t going to get out of the room anytime soon, laying the books one by one he flicked his wand and watched them go to their respective places before turning around and walking towards the pair. He gently led Hermione back to her place next to Harry and pulled an arm chair closer, “I went to school with your mother, Hermione. She was in Ravenclaw and was so close to becoming head girl, but,” he smirked a bit thinking back on his memories, “she got involved with us and got a little caught up in the excitement—that’s how Lily got the position. They were competitive but very friendly rivals.”

Hermione stared at her former professor and waved her hands, “How do you know about the spell?! That she doesn’t remember anything?”

“Oh right, well Sirius had gone to the house earlier, the day she cast the spell. No one would let him in so when he came back to James’ house to help with the wedding plans he put it on the table the he wanted someone to go and talk to her. Lily was all for it, after all the girls got along pretty well and your mother was sure she could get the information out of Grace. I tagged along simply because … well I really didn’t want to be there while Sirius tried to drink his sadness away and James was drinking in celebration.

We got to the home and they almost didn’t let us in, mainly because of me I expect. But ever clever Lily found a way into the house; she bribed a house elf—threatened him with a pair of Grace’s knickers actually. We got to her room and when we walked in she stared at us before trying to climb out the other side of the bed. Asked us a right number of questions, ‘are you here to hurt me?’ ‘are you here to save me?’ ‘do we work for the hospital?’ ‘where was Elliot?’”

Remus took a breath and looked at Hermione, “You know … I think it would be better if I just showed you. Harry do you know where Cygnus’ pensive is?”

Harry nodded and left the room to retrieve the bowl. Remus studied Hermione for a moment, her face was almost lined with her concentration, he may not have been her professor for too long but he knew when she was deep in thought. Standing again he started searching the shelves, “Professor … is Sirius—”

“I believe so, Hermione.”

Hermione sat in silence now, she didn’t get to finish her question—Is Sirius going to go after my mum? But Professor Lupin acted as if he knew what her question was. Did he? Or was he answering a question he thought she was going to ask? If that’s the case … what question should she have asked.

Harry came in a few minutes later where a tense silence was hanging in the room. Sirius was with him helping him carry the other side of the pensive, Remus looked up and then at Hermione, “Thank you Sirius … I’ll find you when we need this moved back.”

Sirius’ dark eyes narrowed at his friend but one look at Hermione and he knew why, she knew. Taking a deep calming breath he nodded and left the room. Well if that was settled he had some cleaning up to do of his own.
Remus helped Harry set the pensive down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Withdrawing his wand he placed it at the temple of his head and thought back to the day nearly eighteen years ago, he pulled out the memory and placed it into the still liquid before stirring it round with his wand.

Hermione moved forward and froze, “Harry … come with me.”

Harry knew she wasn’t going to actually be gone from the room but he understood what she wanted. Nodding to her, they both leaned down into the viscous liquid and plummeted into the memory.