Disclaimer: I only own the order these words are in, the rest belongs to JKR :)

September 2, 1977

Hogwarts ~ The Hospital Wing

3rd Person POV:

Madame Pomfrey bustled over and gave Hermione some potions to drink, telling her that they would help "with the effects of the Cruciatus curse."

Hermione thanked her and quietly asked if Madame Pomfrey had her beaded bag. The matron nodded and went to go get it for her. When she came back with the small bag, Hermione pulled out an envelope and handed it over to Dumbledore who opened the letter.

As he read, his eyes grew wide with shock, "Is this true?"

"Yes, sir, I have the Destiny Turner."

"So...you are from...the future?"

"Yes, sir."

"What house were - or, will - you be in?" Dumbledore corrected himself.

"Gryffindor, Headmaster."

"Alright. Let me finish reading this and then I'll introduce you. You could pose as a transfer student from Beauxbatons."

"Yes, sir," Hermione murmured.

She looked back at Dumbledore, who was finishing up the letter. He leaned forward and quietly said, "Your cover is that you moved here from France, where you went to Beauxbatons. Your family was tortured and killed at the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If the Destiny Turner worked, which it obviously did, then you won't be born in 1979, and instead, it will be like you were born in 1960, and you escaped from Voldemort and his followers after being tortured."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "But...I wasn't tortured by Voldemort."

"But you're feeling the effects of the Cruciatus," he nodded to her hands, "you're shaking."

"Yes, but that was, uh, Bellatrix."

"Bellatrix?" Questioned Dumbledore.

"Lestrange. Erm," Hermione paused, Bellatrix wasn't yet married in this time, "Black."

"Okay. Ah, yes, I remember reading about her betrothal to Rodolphus Lestrange. As I was saying, and I'm sure you know, the Destiny Turner changes your destiny. Basically," he paused for a moment, "What happens to you in this time – like the aftereffects you are feeling – will match up to your cover story – including the torture. You will not be born in 1979, and you are stuck forever in this time – unless you use the time turner to go further back in time. Because you won't be born, you can keep your name."

Hermione nodded respectfully, "Yes, sir."

"In a few weeks, after you settle in, I'll call you to my office so we can further discuss this matter."

"Yes, Professor, of course."

"I'll order your books and supplies, and they will be ready for you by Wednesday. Yes. Three days, Miss Granger. Although I expect Poppy will keep you a little longer."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione smiled gratefully.

"You are very welcome, Miss Granger," he gave her a warm smile, "Welcome to Hogwarts."

Leaving Hermione to her thoughts, he turned and left. A few minutes later, however, the four marauders bounded in, still wanting to meet her.

Hermione stared at them, still trying to comprehend the fact that James wasn't Harry, and that Peter hadn't yet betrayed Lily and James, and that Sirius didn't go to Azkaban for 13 years, and that Remus was still alive and well.

After what seemed like hours, Sirius finally spoke up, "Hello, I'm Sirius Black, and these three idiots," he grinned and pointed at each of them, "are Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew."

"H-Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."

"Are you okay – are you going to be okay?" Remus spoke up, looking worried.

Hermione couldn't help but smile at Remus' familiarity. Even though she was stuck in a different time, he was still as caring as the Remus she knew, "Yeah, Madame Pomfrey patched me up pretty good."

"Okay," grinned James, " 'cause we were worried."

"I-I," Hermione tried to think of something to say – but what were you supposed to say when you met your best friend's father for the first time, his godfather who, to you, had died two years ago, your professor who was twenty years younger than when you last saw him, and the man who betrayed them all. It was hard, especially since they were all dead in her time. No, Hermione reminded herself, this is your time now. This happened for a reason. It was all planned out. Even if you were sent back earlier than you expected to go. Originally, Hermione had planned to go back in time if they either lost the war, or if the casualties were worse than expected.

"Hello?" Asked Sirius, waving his hand in front of her face.

Hermione startled, "Oh, sorry, I-I just zoned out for a moment."

"That's fine," James said, taking a seat at the edge of her bed, "Now, tell us about yourselves. Dumbledore said you were a 7th year – we're all 7th years, which means that we can show you around and stuff!"

"Okay," Hermione laughed, "Well, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm 17 years old, and I went to Beauxbatons, but I've transferred to Hogwarts," she paused, "there's not really much to tell about me."

"How about your grand entrance?" Sirius asked, somewhat playfully, but Hermione could tell he was genuinely curious, and judging from the nods the other boys gave, they were, too.

"Well - I, uh," she froze, thinking frantically, "I was, um, being chased. I-I guess you could say that."

The boys still looked confused, but they didn't push the matter – she would tell them when she was ready.

"So, erm," James started, but quickly trailed off, when he realized he didn't know what he was going to say.

Sirius cut in, "So, since you're going to be staying at Hogwarts, do you know what house you're going to be in?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure Dumbledore will tell me soon," Hermione smiled at him.

"Cool," he ran a hand through his hair and couldn't help but think that her smile was rather pretty. Sirius promised himself to make her smile more – she had clearly already been through enough, "well, I hope you're in Gryffindor – we're the best!"

Hermione grinned at him, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway," Remus started, "when do you think you'll be out of here?"

"I'm not sure – Madame Pomfrey said a week or two, I think. It really depends on how fast I heal, I guess."

A few minutes later Madame Pomfrey bustled out of her office and, seeing the boys, shooed them out, saying, "She needs her rest boys, you can visit her tomorrow!"

"Okay," James sighed, "we'll come visit you soon, Hermione." The other boys nodded in agreement, and Hermione waved to them as they left the wing.

September 10, 1977

Hogwarts ~ The Hospital Wing

The next few weeks passed slowly, with nothing for Hermione to do, except help Madame Pomfrey around (on the rare occasion that she would allow Hermione's help) and ask the matron when she would be released ("Soon! You need to completely recover for me to let you out!"). Hermione's recovery was taking longer than expected, and she was anxious to go to class and get started on figuring out what to do about taking down Voldemort. It would be a lot easier to do when she could go to the library – not just reread the books she had in her beaded bag.

The Marauders seemed to have forgotten about her – they hadn't visited since the day she woke up – and Hermione was anxious to leave the Hospital Wing.

In truth, the four boys had been completely loaded with homework and assignments (after all, it was their NEWT year), and, although they had tried to get away to visit Hermione, they simply hadn't been able to get time away from their studies.

A week after Hermione woke up, she was visited by the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, who had both come to check up on her.

"Poppy, when will she be released?" Albus questioned, "She'll need to start her classes soon, or else she will have a hard time catching up."

Poppy sighed, "I suppose she can leave tomorrow, but she has to come back every evening so I can make sure she's healing right and to give her the potions for the night."

"Okay," Hermione beamed, "Thank you Madame Pomfrey!" Poppy couldn't help but smile back.

Albus turned to Hermione, "I'm guessing you want to stay in Gryffindor? I think that would be best for you, but you could always try the sorting hat on again, if you want."

"I think I'd like to just stay in Gryffindor, Headmaster."

Professor McGonagall gave Hermione her schedule for the year, and Dumbledore told her that her school things had arrived and that he had put them in her dorm. Soon after they left, Hermione once again found herself bored.

However, her boredom didn't last for long, as the Marauders were finally able to get away from their schoolwork and classes to go visit her.

She was just shuffling through her beaded bag for another book to read, when the boys bounded in, talking animatedly about James' last attempt to woo Lily.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as they crowded around her bed.

"Hey Hermione," James grinned at her, "we're sorry we didn't visit – the professors have been giving us so much work, it's crazy!"

"It's alright, I haven't really been doing anything anyway."

Peter piped up, "Has Madame Pomfrey decided when you're going to be released?"

Hermione startled a little bit at his voice – she hadn't heard him speak yet. In fact, he was the opposite of what she had expected – he was skinny, not plump, with straw blond hair, and watery blue eyes, with ears that stuck out. She could see where his animagus form came from. Peter was short compared to the rest of the Marauders – Remus towered above all of them, with James and Sirius a couple inches shorter, and Peter a few more inches short. She really hoped that he wasn't a Death Eater yet.

She shot him a small smile, "Tomorrow, actually! I'm so ready to get out of here – I don't think I've ever been more bored in my entire life!"

"That's great – do you know which house you'll be in?" Remus questioned.

"Yeah – Dumbledore told me earlier today - I'm going to be a Gryffindor!"

"Awesome!" Cried James and Sirius simultaneously.

Hermione laughed, "Well, since you're all Gryffindors, I suppose I'll be seeing a lot of you, then?"

"Definitely," Peter nodded at the foot of her bed – he was looking forward to learning more about the girl who dropped from the ceiling. After all, that was what his master had told him – find out about the mysterious girl.

Sirius grinned, "We could show you around and stuff!"

"Yeah," James agreed, "Have you gotten your timetable?"

Hermione reached over to the nightstand for the sheet of paper that Professor McGonagall had given, but her ribs were still sore from when they had been fractured in the battle and she winced. She paused for a moment, trying to take a deep breath without hurting herself again.

Immediately, Sirius was at her side, helping her back onto the pillows. Even though Hermione was in pain, she couldn't help but think that Sirius was rather handsome. No, Hermione, stop it. That's your best friend's godfather. You will not get a crush on him. He's, like, 20 years older than you. Not anymore, another part of her head argued, you're stuck here – and you won't be born in '79. She quickly shook the thoughts from her head as the pain in her chest increased.

Hearing the commotion, Madame Pomfrey hurried out of her office, tutting when she saw the boys crowded around Hermione, who was having trouble breathing with a sharp pain in her chest. The nurse quickly administered a potion to Hermione, telling the boys they had 5 minutes to say goodnight to Hermione before they had to leave, but that they could come get her for breakfast if they wanted to.

The timetable lay forgotten on the table as the Marauders said goodbye and promised to see her the next morning.

As Hermione settled in for the night, one thought ran through her head: Maybe it won't be so bad in this time.

A/N: How was it? Review pretty please :) Also, how is the length? Should I make it longer? Or is this good?