A Lion in a Cage

By Sashi Mizumoto

A/N: Yay! It’s about time I wrote a Time Travel fanfiction. I’m so excited! X3 The only problem is, I don’t want to make this sound stupid or cliché. So, if anyone has suggestions, feel free to send them away! In addition, I won’t reply to reviewers anymore, because it takes up too much time to write a response to EVERY review. Moreover, I want to write this as quickly as possible. Now, about the story. Do not be fooled by the beginning. This WILL end up as a Remus/Hermione story, I PROMISE. You just gotta trust me with this. Please? XD Ok! Start story NOW!

Dedication: This is dedicated to my good friend Laura, who has been my friend for about eight years. I hope she likes this, and I hope she likes the little surprise I have for her in this chapter. : )

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did own it, I would give Remus a bigger part. And introduce him in the first book.

CHAPTER 1

Hermione dragged her trunk behind her, grunting a bit at the immense weight. She was starting to slow down when she spotted the crimson train. She was finally starting her seventh, and last, year at Hogwarts. As was expected from the Gryffindor house, she was elected as the Head Girl. Her badge glistened brightly in the sun, as if boasting her position of order to the rest of the world.

She plopped her trunk on the ground and wiped her sweaty brow. As she bent down to pick it up again, callous covered hands covered her small and sleek hands gently. She twisted her head quickly in surprise, only to cause a slight twinge run down her neck. She cringed inwardly, and was shocked to see Harry standing behind her. Her mouth instantly curled into a smile and she let go of the trunk hurriedly, immediately throwing her arms around Harry. He stepped back under her weight and smiled, instantly returning the hug.

“Oh Harry, it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!”

Harry nodded in agreement. “Hermione, this summer has felt long to me too. I’m so glad to be away from the Dursley’s though.” Since Sirius had died, Harry had been going through hell at the Dursley’s extremely clean house. They had mocked him about the death, leaving deep scars over his heart. However, he had been saved by the fact that this was his last summer at this dreadful hellhole. After this year ended, he had made plans with Ron to stay at the Burrow until he could afford to get his own place. Naturally, the Dursley’s had made no arguments against this. They wanted him out of the house and out of their lives as soon as possible.

In a lovingly, brotherly fashion, Harry ruffled the top of Hermione’s hair playfully. Though she faked anger, she smiled, letting down her façade of annoyance.

“Harry, stop! You know how much that bothers me! Though I doubt anything could make my hair worse.” Hermione had hardly changed in appearance since first year. Her hair was still bushy and thick, as well as unmanageable. She had finally grown, but she was still immensely shorter than Harry and Ron, who had seemed to leap in height in their sixth year.

Harry picked up Hermione’s trunk and groaned. “Jeez Hermione, what do you have in here? It’s so bloody heavy!” Hermione looked irritated at Harry’s use of language, but she pushed it away to answer his question. “Well, I’m taking a lot of classes this year. I have to make sure I do well this year so I can become an Auror!”

In sixth year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had made a pact to become Aurors together to fight against evil, namely Voldemort. Though it had sounded childish at the time, they had held strong to this promise, and they were all taking the same classes now. They knew they had to succeed. Though Neville was the other choice to kill Voldemort, they knew he would never be able to do it. While he had grown more of a backbone in recent years, he was still somewhat skittish and shy. Harry, on the other hand, was much more outgoing and courageous.

“I even had to get my Time-Turner back for this year! I hope I remember how to use it though.” In her third year at Hogwarts, she had been given a Time-Turner so that she could attend all of her classes. It was a small necklace with a small hourglass filled with golden sand. If turned correctly, the person using it could go back in time, usually only a few hours or minutes back though.

Harry was about to tell Hermione something, but just as he opened his mouth, a red flash passed by him and ran into Hermione at a blinding speed. She screeched and didn’t even have to look up to know who this was.

“Ronald Weasley, if you don’t get off me within the next five seconds, I’m hexing you straight into the Infirmary Wing!” Knowing that she really would carry out her threat, Ron scrambled off Hermione as quickly as he could. She sat up and brushed the gravel that was clinging to her back and grasped the hand that Ron had extended towards her.

Ron was still as lanky and tall as the day Hermione had met him. He had buckled down a bit on his schoolwork, but he usually just forgot about it until the last second. Recently, Hermione had become more aware of the fact that there was some slight tension between Ron and her. Therefore, a few days ago, she had decided that she would confront Ron about the matter.

The trio pushed their way onto the train and feverishly looked for an empty compartment. As Head Girl, Hermione would have to patrol the train every hour for about 10 minutes, so it’s not as though she would be sitting much anyway. Finally, they found a place to rest in the very back of the train. As they settled down in their seats, Ron turned towards Hermione, who was sitting across from him.

“Sorry again for running into you ‘Mione.” Hermione shook her head, waving his apology away with her hand. “It’s fine Ron, it’s fine.” She brushed a stray hair away from her face and turned to Harry, who looked extremely tired.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Harry shook his head, pushing a smile to the front of his face. “I’m fine ‘Mione. I’ve just been overworking myself a little bit. I promise that I’ll rest when we get to Hogwarts.” Hermione wanted to probe more into the matter, but was silenced by the gentle kick that Ron gave her leg. She decided instead to look out the window and watch the passing scenery. Before she knew it, the hypnotizing view of the trees made her fall into a deep slumber.

Hermione awakened to the sounds of Harry and Ron’s voices as well as someone else’s, though she couldn’t figure out whom. She rubbed her eyes and her vision cleared, revealing five boys standing before her. Two of them were Ron and Harry, who were already decked out in their Hogwarts robes. The other three shocked her a little. Fred and George Weasley stood tall, arguing with Draco Malfoy. Though she was curious as to why Fred and George were there, she realized that the confrontation between the boys could get ugly, so she whipped her wand out of her pocket and stepped forward, hoping that she could resolve this without having to resort to using her wand in the first place.

“What’s going on here? Malfoy, if you’re here to cause a disturbance, I shall have to give you a detention!” Draco glared at Hermione with his ice-cold gray eyes and a smirk curled onto his face.

“So the stupid little Mudblood finally woke up. Oh, don’t make that face Granger! You’re the reason I’m here anyway.” The boys turned towards Hermione and she shook her head in confusion and shrugged. Draco sighed in aggravation and pointed at her Head Girl badge. She looked down and then back up at him.

“Did you forget? We were supposed to patrol the train. I had to do it by myself until I found you! Now get off your arse and do your job you lazy Mudblood!” Hermione was surprised that the boy who had always been one of the causes of the trio’s problems was lecturing her. Deciding that she was too mature to argue with Draco, she sat up and walked out of the compartment, hearing his light footsteps behind her. Before she got too far away from her friends however, she jogged back to the compartment and smiled at her friends.

“Now don’t think you four have gotten away from me! And Fred, George, I’ll find out why you two are here later!” She ran back into the narrow pathway and saw Draco’s blonde hair as he turned the corner. She followed him, calling his name. “Malfoy, get back here! If you didn’t want to go alone, why didn’t you come get me earlier?” Malfoy stopped in his tracks and turned sharply on his heel so he was now facing her. He just stared at her for a moment, but it was enough to silence Hermione’s incessant questions. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he continued on his way, not even checking to see if she was doing what she was supposed to be doing. Hermione hadn’t even realized that Draco was even Head Boy until now, or why she was listening to what he was saying.

By the time she got back to her compartment at the end of the train, Hogwarts was appearing on the horizon. People were rushing through the narrow path to talk to friends or to buy a last minute snack from the trolley. Hermione almost had to push her way through just so she wouldn’t be trampled on. She roughly pushed the door open to find that smoke steadily yet strongly came floating from the compartment. Horrified, she immediately pulled out her wand and muttered a spell that quickly made the light gray clouds disperse. Fred and George’s faces were covered in soot, and it looked as though the edge of Ron’s robes were burned. Harry looked unharmed, though his face showed surprise. Hermione just shook her head and decided that perhaps it was best if she didn’t ask. She was still, however, curious as to why Fred and George were there in the first place.

“Fred, George, why are you two here exactly?” Fred and George exchanged a quick look before turning towards Hermione and smiling. “Well, Dumbledore actually asked us to come. We weren’t exactly sure if we’d exactly be welcomed back with open arms, but we thought it would be fun to come back and cause a little mischief.” Hermione sighed and, realizing she wouldn’t be able to get anything remotely serious from the twins, turned to Harry.

“You know Harry, I won’t do all of your schoolwork for you this year! Or you either Ron! You two have to start doing your own work, and taking your own notes! I won’t always be there to help you!” She gave them a small smile before picking up Crookshanks, who had been sleeping peacefully throughout the whole trip, and walked out the door.

Hogwarts was still as majestic and grand as when Hermione had first seen it. It seemed to loom dangerously high, as though the tops of the towers were reaching for the twinkling stars. In the distance, the Forbidden Forest was blending in smoothly with the pitch-black sky. As she stepped off the train, Crookshanks snuggly secured in her arms, Hermione glanced forward to see how the seventh years would be getting to the castle. As Harry came up behind her, along with the three Weasley boys, Hagrid’s deep voice could be heard throughout the large crowd.

“First years! First years over ‘ere!” Harry turned his head and ran towards Hagrid while the three Weasley boys decided to talk to Hermione.

“So ‘Mione, how have you been? Did you miss us much?” Fred smiled at Hermione and she responded by simply rolling her eyes. Ron stepped forward, his ears reddening with each step. “Don’t listen to him ‘Mione, he’s an idiot. Anyway, we don’t have time to talk to them. We have to get to school!” Ron took Hermione’s hand gently in his and dragged her away from the Weasley twins. They each waved goodbye before turning, smirking all the while. Harry, who had been talking to Hagrid about his summer, caught up to Hermione and Ron and took Hermione’s other free hand. The three friends looked around, wondering how they were to get to Hogwarts. Their question was answered almost immediately as dark silhouettes came from the sky. Hermione backed up as a large Pegasus landed gracefully in front of them. Hermione, who now had a large smile on her face, held her hand up, and slowly walked towards the beautiful creature standing before them. The Pegasus gladly nuzzled his face into the palm of her hand and Hermione accidentally let a giggle slip out of her mouth. Harry and Ron were somewhat surprised, as she had never seemed to be the kind of person to let out a giggle at all, let alone so easily. However, when she realized that she was going to be riding the Pegasus to get to Hogwarts, Hermione’s joy seemed to fade instantly. Hermione had had a great fear of flying ever since she had watched Harry protect Neville’s Rememberall in their first year.

Harry, seeing Hermione’s obvious discomfort at the idea of flying, offered to let her sit in the middle. “’Mione, how about you sit in the middle? That way, both Ron and I will be able to protect you in the rare case that you fall off. I’ll sit in the front, and Ron can sit in the back. Does that make you feel any better?” Hermione nodded, though Ron’s beet red face suggested that maybe he would be that wouldn’t be ok with this idea. Harry lifted himself with ease onto the large white horse, which had not even leaned down to try and make this any easier for them. He held out his hand towards Hermione, who seemed hesitant to grasp it. It was only when Crookshanks leapt onto the horse that Hermione felt she could do it as well. Ron knelt down on his knees and held out his hands for Hermione to use as a lift to get on. She tenderly placed her foot in his hands and felt herself being lifted in the air. Quickly, she took Harry’s hand, and Harry wrapped his hand around Hermione’s slender waist, turning her so that she was now behind him. She hastily wrapped her arms around Harry’s waist and Harry couldn’t help but smile. He had never been told as to why Hermione was afraid of flying, but he had always thought it was a little bit cute.

Ron clumsily crawled onto the Pegasus and felt Hermione lean her head against his chest in a sleepy manner. He placed his arms awkwardly around her waist and his ears seemed to glow in the night as brightly as Rudolph’s nose. Crookshanks had buried his claws into Hermione’s robes, and he did not look like he was about to let go. As soon as the friends were seated comfortably, the Pegasus started to flap his wings, a gush of wind flying through the air. Hermione had her eyes tightly clamped shut, determined not to look down. Harry was leaning forward, enjoying the breeze of fresh air that had eluded him for months now. Ron was in awe at the beautiful scenery that lay before them. The flight felt too short to the friends, but before they knew it, they were at the main entrance of Hogwarts.

Harry slipped off the Pegasus first, and held out his hands to Hermione. Ron, who thought that this was meant for him, leaned forward which resulted in a painful fall for him. Hermione smiled, shaking her head. She knew he would be ok, so she didn’t really worry that much. She looked back at Harry and fell into his arms, glad that it wasn’t her with her face in the ground. Crookshanks shuddered at the sudden fall and hissed loudly, scratching Harry’s cheek. He glared at the cat and Hermione immediately apologized. As Ron pushed himself up and wiped the dirt off his cloak, the friends walked their way into Hogwarts. The biggest change was that the hallways didn’t seem as big as they did when they first entered the school in their first year. This was probably because of their growth in height.

Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table the minute she stepped into the Great Hall. She still felt a bit drowsy from her earlier nap. As the rest of the students sat themselves down, Professor Dumbledore stepped up to the front of the faculty’s table and cleared his throat and the students ceased their chatting. Dumbledore gave the students a small smile and his light blue eyes glistened mischievously behind his glasses.

“Welcome to the first day of the Hogwarts year. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of the school. As always, the Forbidden Forest is strictly prohibited to students. Also, I would like to announce this year’s Head Boy and Girl: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger.” At the mentioning of Malfoy’s name, the Slytherin table stood and applauded, Pansy Parkinson shrieking his name and giggling. However, when Hermione’s name was said, the Gryffindor table (as well as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw) applauded happily and shouted. Fred and George cheered and lifted up two innocent little first years and spun them around, making them scream even louder. Harry and Ron patted her on the shoulders enthusiastically, and Hermione felt herself blush with embarrassment and modesty. As the cheering finally ended, Dumbledore resumed what he had to say.

“This year at Hogwarts, I am sad to say, there will be no Hogsmeade trips. The Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley, has decided that the trips would leave students easily open to attacks made by Voldemort.” The students gasped, and Hermione wasn’t sure if it was because there would be no Hogsmeade trips, or if it was the fact that Dumbledore had said the forbidden name. However, Dumbledore ignored the outbursts and continued with his speech.

“However, because we have to give up our trips to Hogsmeade, we will be having a somewhat special event for all four houses. Every week, houses will combine and spend the entire week together. Let me clarify this with an example. Perhaps the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses will combine in one common room and dormitories just as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw would. After all four houses have been with each other, we start the cycle over again. This is meant to be an exercise to strengthen our bonds in the event that something of an unpleasant nature would occur.” No one needed to be told that by ‘unpleasant nature’, he meant a surprise attack from Voldemort.

“This week, Gryffindor and Slytherin houses will combine, as will Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Gryffindors and Slytherins will be residing in the Gryffindor dormitories, and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws will be residing in the Ravenclaw dormitories. After dinner, the houses will meet together and will be escorted to their sleeping quarters by prefects and/or Head Boy and Girl. Now, if anyone objects, I say we should commence the meal.” Many secretly did object (mostly the Slytherins, who never wanted to be anywhere near the Gryffindors), but no one wanted to say anything against Dumbledore, so the room remained silent. Dumbledore smiled and waved his hand, food appearing in front of the students.

As she ate, Ron yelled across the table at George and Fred, little bits of bread pudding escaping from his lips. Hermione shuddered and tapped his shoulder. He turned towards her, pieces of the bread pudding now sticking to the sides of his mouth. With a sigh, she picked up his unused napkin and wiped his mouth clean. Ron blushed at this sudden gesture, and Fred and George snickered from their seats. Harry also laughed, though it sounded more like a giggle. When Hermione finished, Ron pouted, though he was happy that she cared enough to take care of him like that. Those small actions made him feel happy. When the tittering of laughter ended, Hermione turned once again towards Ron, who had gone back to eating. She was not done with him yet.

“Ron, there’s something I wanted to ask you for awhile now.” Ron let out an indifferent ‘Uh-huh’ while hurriedly packing mashed potatoes into his mouth. Angry that he was not paying attention to her while she was talking about such an important subject, she threw her napkin at the side of his face. Though it clearly didn’t hurt, Ron couldn’t resist letting a little yelp of pain escape from his lips. Hermione rolled her eyes and watched as Ron swallowed the last remaining bits of potatoes.

“What do you want ‘Mione, those were really good potatoes!” Hermione inwardly moaned, wondering how he could pass the final exams when all he could think about was food. Pushing past her discouragement, she continued. “Ron, why have you been so, distant with me?” Ron put down his fork, surprised at this allegation. “Hermione, why would you even think this?” When Ron used Hermione’s full name, anyone could tell that he was being nothing short of serious. He wiped his hand on his napkin and patted her gently on the head. “Don’t be silly ‘Mione, I thought you were smarter than that. Come on, give me a smile!” Hermione knew that she couldn’t resist, and she flashed him a big grin with her pearly white teeth. He smiled as well and gave her an awkward hug with one arm before returning to his meal. Hermione turned to her own untouched meal and felt much happier than she had earlier.

Once the meal had finished, Dumbledore had all the plates cleared by the house elves. Dobby had come to say hello to Harry and show off his new socks. After the students chatter died down, Dumbledore cleared his throat for a second time that night. “Now, I think it’s best if we all go to bed. Prefects, Head Boy and Girl, please show the students to their dormitories. Remember, Gryffindors and Slytherins shall be staying in the Gryffindor dormitories and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws shall be residing in the Ravenclaw dormitories.” Harry and Ron groaned loudly, having forgotten this during their meal. Fred and George however looked pleased. Hermione threw them a questioning look and they grinned sheepishly.

“Well, this might be put to our advantage. Remember ickle Ronnikiens, if the Slytherins stay in OUR tower, we can do whatever we want to them and be able to hide easily! We know the territory better than they do!” Ron stopped to think about this for a moment before grinning evilly. “That’s right! This could be fun after all!” Harry however, did point out a flaw in the plan. “Won’t it be the same for us when we go to stay with the Slytherins though? We’ll be like the lions in the cages, not knowing what exactly to do.” Fred and George nodded. “Yes, this COULD happen too. But remember, we’re smarter than all of the Slytherins put together! Especially Hermione, she’s a bloody genius!” Frowning, she shook her head. “Don’t say that word, it’s so crude.”

She stood up and began leading people to the Gryffindor Tower. Before she could leave the Great Hall, however, a hand gripped itself around Hermione’s arm and pulled her back. She turned to see Draco’s cold glare and she felt herself frown despite her good mood from before. Draco was just like that, making everyone’s good thought and feelings disappear. ‘He’s like a dementor,’ Hermione thought. “What do you want Malfoy?” He nodded his head back at the hundreds of Slytherins following him. “In case you can’t see, we don’t know where we’re going.” Hermione could see obvious annoyance on his face. Did it disappoint him that he didn’t know how to get to the Gryffindor tower? Either way, she knew it was her duty to show him where to go. After all, she was the Head Girl. She had to do what the Headmaster asked, and no matter how much it bothered her, she would fulfill it to the best of her abilities. And not only that, she trusted as well as respected Professor Dumbledore, and knew that he would never put them in any danger. He was Hogwarts’ protector.

As Hermione trudged up the stairs, she was talking happily with Ron, Harry, Fred, and George. “So Fred, George, is this why you two are here? To come and torture the Slytherins?” Fred and George looked at each other before turning back to Hermione and smiling, nodding enthusiastically. She sighed, smiling. “You two are so immature!” As the two houses finally reached the Fat Lady, Hermione went up to her and whispered the new password in her ear. Dumbledore had told her during dinner, and though he had said it was not necessary to whisper, Hermione knew she would have to, or else Slytherins would be invading their common room all of the time. As the painting moved, Hermione briskly walked in and was greeted with the warm toasty feeling of home that she had sorely missed. The fireplace had been lit, and the chairs looked as comfortable as ever. As the groups walked in, the Slytherins looked around in curiosity. They were not used to something as bright and warm as this. Hermione pointed up the long stairways across the room.

“Girls, your sleeping quarters are on the right, boys, yours are on the left. I hope you all have a good night’s sleep. If you have any questions please come to me, the Head Girl, or Malfoy, the Head Boy. We will be staying in different dormitories because of our given positions. Your trunks are already up in your rooms! Good night everyone!” Everyone dispersed slowly into their rooms, with the exceptions of Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, and Draco. The first four mentioned wanted to talk to Hermione, Hermione was making sure that everyone found their room ok, but why was Draco there?

“Guys, I’m sorry I didn’t get to spend more time with you. But I promise that tomorrow we’ll all talk, ok?” The boys nodded and each stepped up to get a hug goodnight. It was almost a common ritual by now. As Hermione turned back towards Draco, however, her cheer disappeared quickly. He had his wand pulled out and it was pointed squarely at Hermione. When the four boys didn’t hear her footsteps moving away, they turned and also saw this. Quicker than lightening, their wands were out as well and they were right in front of Hermione.

“Malfoy, what the bloody hell are you doing you prick?” Ron inwardly waited for Hermione to scold him for his language, but it never came. All he could feel from her were her hand grasped tightly on a bit of his shirt. Ron looked back at her and saw that she had a serious expression planted on her face, her fingers playing with an end of her wand. She looked up at him and he nodded, wondering what she would do next. When he turned around again, Harry had started arguing with the foul person standing before them.

“What are you doing MALFOY? What were you going to do to Hermione?” In response, Draco just grinned maliciously and ripped off a sleeve of his shirt. This time, Hermione gasped and all eyes fell on Draco’s arm. There, glaring back at them was the Dark Mark, a bright black against Draco’s ghostly pale skin. Hermione was staring at it in an almost twisted fascination. “Malfoy, when did you get it? Do they usually let people our age get it?” Harry and the others turned towards her with shock on their faces. Why the hell would Hermione ask these sorts of questions NOW?

“That’s not what you should be concerning yourself with right now Mudblood. I have something much worse in store for you.” Draco lifted his wand and immediately several Slytherins came down the stairs, gripping their arms in pain. “Malfoy, you gave them all the Dark Mark?” Draco grinned sadistically and all the Slytherins raised the sleeve to proudly show off the Dark Mark. Hermione secretly felt extremely bad for these people, who would have to live with this ugly mark of deception and death for the rest of their lives, even if they did reform and become better people.

In a mere matter of seconds, the Gryffindors found themselves surrounded, but Hermione was ready with a plan. Yes, it was a little rough, but it would have to do for now. She poked everyone in the back with her wand to get their attention, and was surprised that they didn’t flinch. She put her hand down and grasped Ron’s, then Harry’s. They started to grab the others hands until all of them were connected. The Slytherins watched with a sick interest, playing with their wands. Hermione released Ron and Harry’s hands and reached for her Time-Turner. Fearing what this could do, Draco lunged for Hermione and grabbed at her throat. Ron and Harry grabbed Draco around the torso and were attempting to get him off her. Hermione did manage to squeak out a few words.

“Ron, Harry, grab my cloak!” Hermione turned the Time Turner, but just as her friends had turned to come towards her, Draco uttered the last words that they wanted to hear.

“Avada Kedavra!” A bright green light flashed and Harry could see his parent’s death as though it was fresh in his mind. He collapsed on the ground, his mother’s screams echoing loudly in his head. Ron reached his hand out towards Hermione, but was surprised to find her warm hands instead of the expected clammy ones. However, there were negative effects to the dark spell. It had NOT hit Hermione, as Draco had wanted it. Instead, it had hit the one thing that no one had expected to protect her. It had hit the Time Turner, shattering the glass and sprinkling the golden sand in her hair, making her look somewhat like an angel. She could feel herself being pulled away from the present, as though a strong invisible hand was pulling on her with all of its might. As she started to disappear, Ron grabbed her hand tightly, not wanting to let go.

“Hermione, don’t go! I-I… I LOVE YOU HERMIONE!” He lost his grip on her hand as some Slytherins pulled him back. He thrashed wildly against them, reaching out desperately for Hermione. Tears came from his eyes, his red ears not able to match the blush on his face. He had finally been able to make his feelings clear to her. He could die happily now. He was hit in the back of the head and fell. Hermione looked out towards him one last time before vanishing into darkness.

“RON!”

All that Hermione could see was darkness. She felt strangely could, and she pulled her cloak tightly around her. ‘Perhaps I’ve died? Is this what death is like?’ Hermione thought of how she had left her friends and she felt the tight grip of remorse around her heart. As she realized that Harry and Ron could be dead at this very moment, tears finally spilled, angry at having been kept locked away for so long. She wiped them away, though it was to no avail because they would just come right back, more heavily than the first time.

“Harry, Fred, George….Ron…” At Ron’s name, Hermione remembered what he had said right before she disappeared. “He…he loves me?” Hermione looked back on all the moments they had spent together over the last seven years and realized that it had been obvious. ‘How did I not notice? Am I really just that naïve? And more importantly, do I love him?’ Hermione probably should have realized that you shouldn’t have to ask yourself if you love a person in question, but her being love-naïve didn’t realize that at the time.

Before she could have the chance to analyze this, however, she felt the hand from before drag her away and she could feel her energy draining from her body. She fell into a deep slumber, not knowing where on earth she was.

When she awakened, she could feel a light breeze wrap itself around her face pleasantly, and the warmth of the sun radiated over her. She grasped her forehead as she opened her eyes and pushed herself up, the lake before her sparkling with the reflection of the sunlight.

Wait, a lake? Where was she? Hadn’t she just been in the Gryffindor Tower, fighting the Slytherin Death Eaters? She turned her around and was shocked to find herself outside of Hogwarts. And what surprised her more was that there were students running around merrily! Where was she?

As though to answer her question, she saw a group of students walking towards her, and the minute she saw that one boy, she could feel her tears resurfacing.

“Harry…?” She felt herself stand up, though she had no idea how she did it. She could still feel exhaustion weighing down on her. However, she pushed on and ran towards Harry. “Harry, Harry! It’s me!” Unfortunately for Hermione, she tripped on a rock and fell forward, her face meeting with dirt. She could feel blood trickling down her knee and this time the tears really did fall.

The students ran towards her, and the one she called Harry flipped her over so she was now on her back. “Harry…?” The boy known as Harry shook his head, confusion showing in his eyes. “Harry? I think you have the wrong person. My name’s James. James Potter.”

END OF CHAPTER 1

A/N: Well now. .. Hermione’s in the past finally! Yay! XD; It took me awhile to write this chapter cause I wanted to make it as close to perfect as I could. I wanted to add more, but let’s no go TOO crazy in the first chapter. I was almost going to have Hermione bring Ron with her, but I just didn’t. o.o; Sorry? I SWEAR THIS IS REMUS/HERMIONE. Even though he hasn’t appeared yet. And I have to say, I hate those fanfictions that have Hermione totally changing. Like, her hair is all thin and she wears makeup and stuff. I don’t think JK would do that. .. She changed Hermione’s teeth, and that seems like the biggest change. And she only fixed Hermione’s hair ONCE. Not for the whole frickin story. I’m sorry, but I needed to rant about that. It pisses me off. XD Oh, and thanks to Amei-chan for beta reading this for me! You don’t have to review, but it would make me feel a lot better. Hint hint.

A Lion in a Cage

By Sashi Mizumoto

A/N: Well, I finished reading ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ in nine hours. This was definitely my favorite book of the series so far, worth the wait. If you have finished it however, you will know what happens with Remus at the end (I will say that he doesn’t die though). I was so immensely angry at this; I screamed and cursed for about 15 minutes. He was, sadly, not in the book much. That really disappointed me. I think that was actually one of the three things that bothered me the most about the book. The other two problems I had were just with pairings. It did somewhat inspire me to write, though a lot of what I have written now contradicts with the book, but that is why it’s a fanfiction, right? I am happy to say that Remus appears in this chapter, so I hope this will make people want to actually read this one.

Dedication: To my good friend Laura, whom couldn’t stop screaming about the fact that Sirius is dead, and who I enjoy singing the entire ‘Phantom of the Opera’ soundtrack with.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would have changed Remus' role in the sixth book and I would kill off someone who interacts with him near the end.

CHAPTER 2

Hermione could feel her hands shaking and she looked up in utter despair at James. “You can’t be James! He’s...” Hermione stopped herself as she realized that she all most had let James’ death slip from her mouth. If in fact she was back in the time of James Potter, she could not reveal that he was dead. If she did, there would most likely be dire consequences. As she had told Harry in their third year, when they had been rescuing Sirius and Buckbeak, “Bad things happen to wizards who mess with time”.

James looked at Hermione with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. “James is what, hmm?” Before he could press any further, however, a girl with bright red hair stepped forward, seemingly towering dangerously over James. “James Potter, if you keep bothering this poor girl, I will never help you with any homework again!” Hermione looked up, shocked that the girl’s statement sounded so much like something she would say to Ron or Harry. As Hermione looked at the girl’s eyes, she quickly figured out who this girl was. ‘It’s… it’s Lily! Her eyes! They really are exactly like Harry’s!’ Lily lightly pushed James away and extended her slender and pallid hand to Hermione. “Hello, my name’s Lily! Lily Evans! And that stupid bloke over there is James, as he so kindly said earlier.” Hermione accepted the hand and stood somewhat shakily. Looking as though she would fall at any given second, Lily motioned for the boy behind her to come forward and help Hermione stand.

Hermione felt a pair of arms twirl their ways around her torso and she let out a small noise resembling a squeak in shock. She turned only to be met with a cocky smile and dark but glimmering eyes. Lily sighed in exasperation and hid her face in her hand. “That is Sirius Black, the playboy of Hogwarts. Honestly Sirius, can’t you keep your hands off girls for two minutes?” Sirius looked up at Lily and smirked, pushing a long piece of black hair out of his face. “The only girl I could keep my hands off is you. You’re just plain creepy.” Lily glared angrily at Sirius before sharply turning away from him and smiling at Hermione. “Hopefully you’ll just learn to ignore him.” Hermione looked back at Sirius and realized that up close, he was quite handsome. His eyes seemed to glow with excitement, and he had long raven colored hair, which he kept tied in a loose ponytail. A somewhat scheming smile seemed to be plastered to his face, which worried Hermione a bit.

“And this boy is Peter! Peter Pettigrew! He’s quiet, but he’s a very kind boy.” Hermione turned and looked down at the boy before her, surprised at how much shorter he was than her. When she thought back about all he had done, she couldn’t picture him as a murderer. He was so timid and little; he looked too weak to even TRY to kill someone, let alone actually do it. She resisted the urge to squirm out of Sirius’ arms and attack Peter now so he would be out of the way later. Hermione instead smiled at him and Peter blushed and hid behind James.

“Let’s not forget Remus! Remus Lupin, you put down that book for once and come say hello!” Hermione looked to see the younger Remus Lupin, sitting underneath a tree about three feet away with a tree in front of his face. His hair had no gray, and was instead a warm honey color. His brown eyes looked at Hermione with mild interest and he closed his book, which appeared worn and dog-eared. As well as thick. Very thick. This impressed Hermione, though she realized that she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. He flashed Hermione a gentle smile and she couldn’t help but give him one as well.

Lily looked back at Hermione and her tone of voice changed to a more serious one. “Now that we have introduced ourselves, why not tell us who you are?” Hermione looked back at the five pairs of expectant eyes, eyes of people who wanted to know the truth about her. She decided she wouldn’t entirely lie, but she would not tell the entire truth either.

“My name is Hermione Granger. My family has just moved and I was transferred to Hogwarts from Beauxbotons. I am in seventh year, and I have gotten my robes from Professor Dumbledore. However, I still need to get my textbooks. I hope that they can be ordered from Flourish and Blott’s. If there are any other questions, I would please like to go rest. But first, I need the password for the Gryffindor common room.”

The group of friends pondered for a second, thinking over any questions that they may have had for her. Remus was the first one to speak. “How did you know James’ name?” Hermione had already had an answer for this; she was not surprised that Remus had been the first one to think of this. “Professor Dumbledore told me to look for James. He described him to me, and I guess I just assumed it was him.” Hermione thought it sounded like a lame answer, but it seemed to pass well with the group. Lily was the next to ask. “Hermione, why don’t you have a French accent? Were you born in France or what?” Hermione thought this was a little bit trickier, but she still came up with a quick answer. She was just glad she was smart. “We moved there a few years ago, before I discovered I was a witch. I was born in London. However, we had to move back here recently because of my father’s job. And yes, I am Muggleborn.” Lily smiled and nodded happily at Hermione. “Well, I guess I shall be your official guide of the school! Come on, I need to take you to the common room. Are any of you coming with us?”

James shook his head and pointed towards the Quidditch field. “Sorry Lily, I need to go practice. It’s never too early to start practicing!” He ran to the field, waving heartily to his friends. Peter nodded at Hermione before tailing after James. Lily shook her head, a sympathetic smile on her face. “Peter’s always following James. It’s almost like a kitten following her mother.” Sirius smiled while keeping his grip around Hermione. “I guess I’ll come with you guys. I don’t have anything better to do. What about you Moony?” Remus shot a cautious look at Sirius before smiling and nodding slowly. “I’ll come too. I want to start reading that new book I ordered. It’s called ‘Hogwarts, A History’. It looks really interesting.” Hermione smiled. ‘Hogwarts, A History’, had always been one of her favorite books. Thinking back, she realized that it probably would be published around this time.

Lily pulled Sirius’ arms away from Hermione and took her hand, leading her to the Gryffindor common room. Sirius and Remus followed behind, talking in hushed voices. Thankful that Lily had turned away from her to look forward, Hermione quickly ripped off her Head Girl badge and stuffed it into her pocket. She had noticed earlier that Lily was also sporting a gleaming badge, and she knew that she would be bombarded with questions if someone had acknowledged it.

The four people soon reached the front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. Hermione could feel her heart beat as she remembered what had happened to her earlier. 'That's right... We fought Draco and the others here, didn't we? Harry, Ron...' Thoughts of what had happened flashed through her mind in an almost random order. Hermione didn't even see that Lily was gone until she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned to see Remus and Sirius behind her, Sirius with a confident grin, and Remus with a shy and withdrawn smile.

“After you my lady!” Sirius held out his hand to help her into the common room, but Hermione just rolled her eyes. To her, he was exactly what would happen if Ron and Harry were put together. And so far, it wasn't much of a good idea. Hermione passed by Sirius quickly and entered the Common Room. To her immense surprise, it looked almost exactly the same as in her time. The only noticeable difference was that her favorite chair, a large one near the fireplace, was not yet there. Lily, Remus, and Sirius came in after her, and she smiled happily at them. Lily grabbed her by the arm and grinned quite cheerfully. “Here Hermione, let me show you where the girls sleep. We have to be careful that the boys don't follow us though!” Sirius let out a hearty laugh as Lily's gaze landed on him.

“I don't know what you're worried about Lily. I wouldn't DARE look at you. You scare me too much. “ Sirius stuck out his tongue as he narrowly avoided a fierce smack on the head. “What about Hermione?” Sirius thought for a moment before answering. “Well, naturally I would want to see! She's new! And I'm curious!” This time he could not avoid the well-aimed hit that Lily threw.

“Sirius, you're a prick.” Sirius stuck out his tongue playfully. “And you're a bitch, but you don't hear ME whining about it.” He ran up to the boy's dorm before Lily could have the chance to hit him again. When Lily turned around, she was slightly surprised to see Remus and Hermione engaged in a conversation.

“Jeez, those guys play the wildest pranks on people! I wish I could have seen it!” Hermione laughed and Lily didn't have the heart to drag her away from this obviously pleasant conversation. Instead, she sneaked away up to the girl's dormitories, leaving Hermione and Remus alone.

“So Hermione, what books do you like to read?” Hermione only stared at him as though this was the most obvious question to answer. “I pretty much like to read everything. You might think this is a little bit weird, but I also love to study. I'm so excited for the NEWTs!” Remus chuckled at Hermione's enthusiasm and she smiled, trying to push away her embarrassment. “Sorry, I do sound weird don't I? At least, Ron and Harry think I am.” Her mind seemed to stop as she realized that she had said those names aloud. She hadn't been here that long and already she had mentioned things she shouldn't have. Remus, not knowing who she was talking about, only tilted his head curiously.

“Who are Ron and Harry? Friends?” Hermione felt a deep pain in her heart, but she ignored it. Hermione looked up at Remus and smiled. “Yes, they're some old friends of mine. I miss them a lot, but I don't really get to see them anymore.” Remus decided not to press Hermione for anymore information. Even the most insensitive person could see the small flicker of heartbreak in her eyes. Lily, who had sneaked back downstairs to check on Hermione, saw the ever rising tension between the two and decided to move the subject to a happier place.

“Well, Halloween will be here soon! Are you fond of Halloween Hermione?” Hermione silently thanked Lily for moving the conversation along. She smiled and nodded. “Yes, Halloween is always such a nice holiday. All of the good food I always have and the beautiful decorations! Do they have these here at Hogwarts too?” As Lily took Hermione up to the girl's dorm, Sirius took a quiet step down the stairs, turning his head and making sure that they were both gone before talking to Remus.

“Moony, I've made up my mind! I'm going after her!” Remus turned his head curiously, not fully understanding what Sirius had meant. Sirius, seeing the confused look on Remus' face, explained it to him. “I'm going to make Hermione my girlfriend! She's so cute! And she's smart, so she'll be able to help me with my homework!” Remus shrugged indifferently, but he was annoyed that Sirius would go after a girl for such idiotic reasons. 'Yes, intelligence and beauty are nice, but her personality is the best thing in a girl', Remus thought. 'I hope Hermione isn't the kind of girl to fall prey to Sirius. No, she's too smart for that sort of thing.' “So, how are you planning on doing this Sirius?” Sirius looked at Remus and smiled.

“What do you think I'll do Moony?” Sirius licked his lips and winked and Remus rolled his eyes. He decided then that he had better things to do and he went up to his room. Sirius followed, talking excitedly about how he would win Hermione over. Meanwhile, Hermione and Lily were discussing Halloween in the girl's dormitories.

“Personally, I think the boys are planning some sort of prank for Halloween. But we can just ignore them and have our own fun! We can eat some of the good pastries, and laugh at dinner, and help each other with homework!” Hermione smiled and nodded. She felt grateful at this point. Yes, she was separated from Ron and Harry, and she wasn't even sure if she COULD get back home. But if she had to be stuck somewhere else, at least she was stuck in a time and place with kind people and new friends. She was glad that she had the opportunity to meet Lily and James and Remus and Sirius. Peter did bother her, but she just couldn't see him as a murderer. She knew that it could have turned out much worse. She could have gone back to the time when Voldemort was in school, or when Voldemort had gained power and had killed the Potters.

'It could have been much worse,' Hermione thought. She was pulled out of her stupor when Lily pushed a book in front of her. Hermione looked at Lily curiously before picking up the book and flipping through its pages. It turned out to be a photo album of Lily's years at Hogwarts. When she saw Lily as a first year, she smiled. Lily had huge teeth like she had and horn rimmed glasses. “You were so cute Lily!” Lily laughed and turned the page. “Just wait until you see the guys.” When Hermione looked down, she almost burst out laughing. Sirius had a bowl haircut, James was pudgy, and Peter was...well, Peter. The only one who seemed to look even remotely handsome was Remus. He was the tallest one as well as the thinnest. To Hermione, he almost looked sickly pale. She squinted and noticed that he had had light freckles. Lily turned the page and showed Hermione various events, such as Quidditch games and holidays like Halloween and Christmas and Valentine's Day. Lily blushed at a particular picture when James had gone around wearing nothing but a Cupid outfit, following her for the entire day. Hermione laughed and Lily smacked her playfully, blushing. Before she had a chance to tell Hermione more anecdotes, there was a knock on their door. Lily stood up and walked to the door cheerfully. Sirius and James burst in with Remus and Peter in tow. Hermione thought about the charm back in her time, when the stairs would push away any boy who would try and come in. She concluded that it must not exist yet.

Sirius came over to Hermione and sat with her, looking down at the book she and Lily had been going through. He smiled up at her. “Do you have any pictures of yourself as a child? I bet you were really cute.” He flashed her a gorgeous smile and Hermione couldn't help but blush slightly. Sirius smirked and shouted, “I think Hermione's got the hots for me! She's blushing!”. Everyone turned around and stared at Hermione, who only blushed harder. Lily chuckled and smacked Sirius away from Hermione.

“Sirius, I think you like teasing her. Maybe you're the one who likes her!” James hooted and Sirius punched him in the arm. Peter just stood there, eating a cracker and Remus shook his head, embarrassed. He looked up and saw Hermione waving for him to come over. While Sirius and James were fighting, with Lily trying to get them to stop, Hermione wanted to talk with Remus about the pictures.

“You know Remus, I've been looking through these with Lily and so far you're the only one who looks normal!” She smiled while an insulted 'Hey!' came from Sirius, who was now wrestling with James while Lily just watched with Peter. Remus smiled at Hermione. “I guess. I was the tallest until fifth year. Then for some reason, Sirius suddenly grew about five inches.” Hermione nodded, curious to know everything about the Marauders. He started to tell her about a Halloween when Sirius had hidden himself in a pumpkin and popped his legs out of the bottom and ran around, making it look like a walking and talking pumpkin, when Sirius suggested that they sneak down to the dungeons and meet some of the school ghosts, maybe even find some new secret passages. Lily, Hermione and Peter seemed to be the only hesitant people.

“Lily my dear, I'll protect you, I promise!” James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she sighed and kissed him on the cheek. Sirius, thinking that this would be a good idea to the beginning of his romance with Hermione, decided to try the same. Only the results weren't as pleasant.

“Hermione my dear, I'll protect you, I promise!” Sirius wrapped his arm around her shoulders only to have Lily smack him over the head with her Transfiguration book. He rubbed his head and glared angrily and Lily who only smiled innocently. Hermione smiled. “I guess I'll go. But if we get caught, I'll say you put me under the Cruciatus curse, ok?” The group smiled and nodded in agreement. The only one left to convince was Peter. He flat out refused though. He was afraid of the dark. Besides, he had homework to work on. The group decided to let him go and work.

Hermione stayed up in her room while everyone else went to their classes. She would just have to wait until she could get a chance to go see Dumbledore by herself. Perhaps tomorrow night. She would've gone tonight, but then they went and invited her to go with them to the dungeons. She wanted to find out about her classes, but she especially wanted to be with her new friends. She spent most of her time reading books in the common room. She had just finished reading an article about witch burnings in Salem when someone came into the dormitory. Thinking fast, she hid underneath the sofa she had been sitting on, taking the book with her. She peeked out from underneath and saw a slightly younger Professor McGonagall scanning the room with eyes that reminded her slightly of a hawk's. She closed her eyes tightly and curled up gently, trying to make herself as small as possible. Professor McGonagall only stayed for a few minutes before leaving though. Hermione listened for footsteps for a few more seconds before crawling out from the bottom of the couch.

“What was that about?” Hermione thought about it for a moment before shrugging. She would think about it later. Right now, she had other things to think about. Like tonight.

The group came back later, along with many other students. Apparently, Lily, as Head Girl, had explained Hermione's situation to everyone so Hermione wouldn't have to trouble herself with it. Hermione thanked Lily, grateful that she wouldn't have anything else to worry about. James gathered everyone together and they went upstairs. Since James was somehow Head Boy, he had his own room where he knew they wouldn't be disturbed. He closed the door and looked at everyone else seriously.

“Now Hermione, since you're new to the group, you probably didn't know about this. But I have access to something very rare as well as useful.” Hermione instantly knew what he was talking about, but held her tongue. She couldn't let him know that she knew about it. “I have an invisibility cloak.” To prove this, he took it out of his trunk and flourished it royally before actually putting it on and disappearing. Hermione faked shock and everyone smiled. For some reason, Hermione was struck with a sudden pain in her heart. Perhaps she was thinking about how she, Ron, and Harry used to sneak around Hogwarts with that very same cloak. And then thinking about Ron made her feel even worse. He had told her of his love for her right before she disappeared. And they were probably in horrible danger. Or even dead.

Hermione had always thought reasonably about things, but she couldn't help but feel depressed after thinking about these things. Hermione looked up and smiled. “That's amazingly beautiful James.” James smirked and held out the cloak to her. “Would you like to try it?” Hermione looked down and nodded. However, she did ask him something. “Can someone help me? I'm a little nervous about going alone.” Immediately, Sirius volunteered himself. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders again and he took the cloak from James' grasp. He wrapped it around themselves and looked at her. She smiled up at him and he decided to be braver than he had ever been before. 'God, Remus' transformations are no where near as scary as this,' Sirius thought. He bent down and kissed Hermione tenderly on the cheek before pulling off the cloak with a quick arm movement. Hermione blushed a bright red and Sirius smirked before handing back the cloak to James and sitting down. Hermione just stared at nothing for a few moments before sitting down. Lily looked at her curiously before shrugging and talking animatedly with James. Remus sat down next to Hermione and talked with her though Hermione was only half listening.

'This is NOT what I needed. Ok, the important things first. Ron and Harry are in trouble and I need to figure out a way to get back. We're all going out tonight. Professor McGonagall came in. And I need to find time to talk to Professor Dumbledore. God, how am I supposed to handle all of this at once?'

END OF CHAPTER 2

A/N: Well, this always happens. It always ends up so much more differently than I had it planned! I hope you're enjoying this so far. Sorry it took me such a long time to update. But that's because I've been writing out future chapters! There will at LEAST be an update once every month. Some months it might even be more than once. I dunno, it depends on how I feel and if I even get like, any reviews. You know, I take the time to write it man. XD I could at least get a review. Oh well, I don't control your brains. Please enjoy the future chapters.