Through Her Eyes

Chapter 13: Order of the Phoenix

It was official. Hermione Black and Remus Lupin were not allowed to spend any time together unsupervised. Feeling similar to a prisoner serving her sentence in Azkaban, Lily had been recruited as Hermione's personal guard. If she were having trouble slipping away from the overprotective redhead before, now it was downright impossible! Sitting at breakfast, Hermione popped a piece of muffin into her mouth, arm looped with Lily's as she mindlessly chatted to James. He had originally slipped in to 'work' on a difficult potions problem - as Lily was quite accomplished in the class - but the two had trailed off into a conversation about who-knows-what. Just being in the presence of the two love stuck fools made Hermione want to gag,

'It's like watching Ginny and Harry all over again,' Hermione thought, sniffing her Pumpkin Juice cautiously before taking a small sip of it and glancing at the pair of idiots making doe-eyes (get the pun?) at one another, 'certainly Ron and I weren't that bad before we started dating?'

Hermione felt saddened at the thought of the redheaded Weasley, but the arrival of the Daily Prophet brought the black haired beauty away from her thoughts. Giving the delivery owl a few sickles and a strip of bacon, Hermione took up the newspaper and practically buried herself in the contents, as to ignore the laughing of Lily and James beside her. There hadn't been any more muggle attacks, or at least any which were worth mentioning on the front page. But Rita Skeeter was having a ball bashing the Ministry of Magic for their lack of effort in defeating Voldemort,

'Ministries Misses - By Rita Skeeter

The Ministry of Magic is a fraud. A sham, a fake, a load of conswobble all wrapped up in a neat package. As war is bring brought down upon the Half-Bloods and Muggleborn's of our era, the Pureblooded families stride tall and proud. For there is no fear, as they have the Ministry notched under their petty thumbs. When will this horrible discrimination end? When will He Who Must Not Be Named finally be bright to trial? And if he ever is caught, what chance will those non-pureblood families have, when a majority of the Wizengamot is in favor of Pureblood hierarchy?'

'I wish Rita would write this kind of stuff in my time,' Hermione thought to herself, lifting her lip at her memory of such an awful woman. Pushy, flirty and willing to go to any lengths to get the best story possible, even if it wasn't true, 'I wonder when she started getting paid off by the Ministry?'

"Miss Black?"

Hermione put her paper down and turned slightly on the bench, smiling up at Professor McGongall who was standing before her. Even in this time the woman showed clear signs of her age, but Hermione always thought she had an air of elegance to her, even in 1998,

"Yes Professor?" Hermione glanced at James and Lily, whom had both halted their conversations upon the approach of the future headmistress of Hogwarts,

"The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office immediately,"

"Oh, of course," Hermione made a move to get up from the table, but was halted as Lily tightened her grip to keep her from moving. Rolling her eyes and turning, Lily was glaring at her with an air of humor,

"Oh no you don't. I'll escort you to the Headmaster's office. I don't need you going out and shagging with that scoundrel, Remus Lupin in an alcove somewhere,"

Hermione snorted at the aghast look on Professor McGongall's face as Lily lifted her nose into the air proudly and made a move to stand up,

"Trust me Lily, you don't have to worry about Remus and I. Especially when he's being guarded by a hellhound known as Sirius Black,"

Motioning down the table, Remus was indeed being heavily guarded. He was squeezed protectively between Peter and Sirius, the dark haired goofball pulling Remus closer after he caught Hermione staring in their direction. Seemingly convinced, Lily plopped back down next to James,