Yesterday is Tomorrow (Everything is Connected)

Five: Exile and Friendly Smiles

Yesterday is Tomorrow (everything is connected)

V

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"If you've ever been homesick, or felt exiled from all the things and people that once defined you, you'll know how important welcoming words and friendly smiles can be."

- 11/22/63, Stephen King

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After her rather confusing talk with herself-disguised-as-Harry in the Room of Requirements, Hermione returned to the Ravenclaw Common Room, waving off Barty's concerned looks and calls of her name as she trudged up the tower until she flopped on her bed in the fourth year dormitory.

Philosophical debate aside, Hermione's existence in the past was unlike her previous journey into the past with Harry and the instance of her time turner. There, two versions of her existed; did this kind of magic imply that by September 1979, another Hermione would be born? Or was Granger-Hermione suddenly nonexistent?

What did that mean in terms of paradoxes? If Granger-Hermione failed to exist, did that mean there wasn't going to be an Evans-Hermione? That there had never been an Evans-Hermione? But if there hadn't been an Evans-Hermione ever, then could there have been a Granger-Hermione, to begin with, to get transported back in time...?

Hermione's face pinched as a vicious headache bloomed across her forehead. She moaned, although her pillow muffled it and her face sunk into the feathery marshmallow. Luckily, the dorm was empty, many of her fellow classmates and roommates having much better things to do on a Friday night, especially one before a Hogsmeade weekend.

With any luck, the rumours that would no doubt be flying around Hogwarts of her punching Sirius Black will be overtaken by something that someone would do while at Hogsmeade, or by a rather embarrassing attempt of Potter's on asking Lily out, once again.

No one would remember silly Hermione Evans and her sucker-punching Sirius Black, flouncing away via Shakespeare's quote.

At least, she thought, I hope not.

*

Hermione was early up on that Saturday morning. She was dressed in her civvies, cast-offs of Petunia and Lily's that Hermione thought was similar enough to her comfort-zone of fashion ranging from the 90s to 10s, which also didn't include polyester pantsuits, bell bottoms, or pastel. While Petunia preferred what Hermione called "sophisticated housewife" in blouses and knee-length skirts that reminded her more of a 50s Stepford, Lily was the flower child in Bohemian tassels and blouses, suede skirts and wide-leg trousers or rustic-inspired dresses.

Hermione was neither, opting for the comfort of knee-length skirts, with knee socks and sweaters overtop that reminded her of her original Hogwarts uniform (the skirt lengths were much longer in the 70s, she had noted immediately); or wide-leg trousers with smart, crisp blouses tucked into the high waists; or the not-quite-there-yet popularity of glam punk with her tight black jeans and flannel shirts - her hair certainly fit in with its wild, riotous curls that could either be disco perm or glamorous mane.

Hoping to do as she usually did during Hogsmeade weekends, Hermione dressed in comfortable jeans and flannel - as she would be continuing her research and practice in transmutation circles and wandless magic with Barty, who also never attended Hogsmeade (unlike Regulus, who often went with dates now) - and met with her best friend at the foot of the stairs in their Common Room.

"Are you alright?" Barty asked nervously, glancing up and down at her.

Hermione frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"