Through Her Eyes

Chapter 25: Burning Day

The next month and a half for the Marauders was filled with the chaos of end of term preparations. Though not particularly worried about her OWL's, Hermione still wanted to come out with all ten of her Outstanding's. So between Order meetings, Dumbledore's study sessions and Animagus training, Hermione spent a majority of her end of the year hauled up in the library or common room, spilling over various texts. She fit in time with Remus whenever possible, and was almost constantly helping Sirius understand his potions. So by the end of the year, Hermione felt burned out and was looking forward to the break,

"It's finally over," Lily huffed, crashing down onto her bed in the girls dormitory, "fifth year. I don't understand why they have us take those bloody OWL's anyway,"

"It's just a checkpoint for your education," Hermione stated, folding her clothing the muggle way and setting them in her trunk, "NEWT's are much worse then OWL's,"

"But those aren't till seventh year. I didn't know half the stuff on the Transfiguration OWL, and I did horrible on the practical testing in DADA,"

"Really? Even with all the Order Meetings?" Hermione lifted a brow. They had flown through the disarming and stunning spells in the first few weeks, and were now on shield charms and useful hexes, "were you skipping out on the meetings to be with James?"

Lily immediately flushed tomato red, almost matching the shade of her hair as she rapidly shook her head,

"No, no. I was just nervous and couldn't focus I think,"

"We'll have to work on that," Hermione mumbled, closing her trunk and flipping the latches, "it'll be much worse in real combat,"

"So you think we really are going to face him someday?"

The tone of the conversation took a rapid turn as Hermione clenched her fists and stared at the lid of her school trunk. War was beyond 'much worse',

"It's an indescribable feeling," Hermione croaked, unconsciously feeling her 'traitor' scar and clenching her jaw tightly, "I'm almost certain that it will happen. It could be tomorrow, or maybe 10 years, but we have to be ready either way,"

"Do you miss them?" Lily squeaked, now laying stomach down on her bed, "your friends from before?"

"Every day," Hermione admitted, sinking to sit on the edge of her own bedspread and sighing heavily, "it's hard, living this life now when I still don't know if my old world crumbled while I was gone. I don't know if any of them made it through, or if Voldemort was killed. They should be living this life, not me,"

"Do you ever think about going back?"

"Sometimes. But...I couldn't do much good there. Here, at least, I can make a difference, and maybe even change the outcome of the future,"

The two girls smiled at each other as Lily rolled from her bed to hug her best friend tightly,

"You're so brave," she croaked, "and when the time comes, we'll all be ready thanks to you,"

"I hope so," Hermione said, though a flicker of doubt crossed her features,
'I can't let the events of my timeline repeat themselves,'

Shaking out of the thought, Hermione turned to Lily as they both fell back onto the mattress and stared at each other,
"What are your parents like?" Hermione asked, playing with her nails mindlessly as she reset the conversation, "do they like James?"

"My parents are Muggles, but they haven't met James yet. My sister Petunia doesn't like me very much. She doesn't like wizards in general I suppose, we're all 'freaks' to her. But I understand, she's just scared of what she doesn't know,"