DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. ROWLING.

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A/N:

Dear Miss Rowling,

I know several women who had to undergo operations. Some no longer have their uterus. Some no longer menstruate. But they are still women. My sister is one of them.

And some mothers don't menstruate for several months. I was one of them.

Lesson learned: love the work, not the author. Love your work, not your employer.

This is just my personal opinion. Thanks.

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Chapter 33:

September 19, 1977

(eighteen years ago)

"Happy birthday, Hermione!"

Hermione literally jumped when she opened the common room door and saw confetti and heard James, Sirius, and Remus.

She placed a hand on her chest. "You startled me!"

James approached her with a bunch of sunflowers, handing it to her and placed an arm around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side. "Hope we didn't ruin your day," he chuckled. "Let's go down for breakfast."

She gave them all a sad smile. "Thank you, boys. You're the best," she told them rather emotionally.

"Anything for the Head Girl," Sirius said, giving her a wink.

She rolled her eyes. "I will still give you and Amelia detention if I caught you snogging in the hallways."

Sirius laughed loudly. "My pleasure, kitten. I will go on detentions just to have a good time with my lovely witch." He even patted her on the head. "You go ahead, I'll wait for Amy."

"It's your fault, James," she told her friend as she, James, and Remus started walking down the spiral staircase.

"Me? Why?" James asked innocently.

"You're the Head Boy, and yet, you're tolerating him!" she accused.

"But Sirius is good at hiding from me," he reasoned, and Remus laughed which only meant the Head Boy was lying.

"Well, use that pretty map of yours," she reasoned.

"Hermione, I can't. Marauders' oath: we won't use the map for Head Boy and Prefect duties, right, Remus?"

Remus snorted and shook his head. "I don't know anything about that oath, James."

Hermione grinned and pulled away from James's hold to loop her arm around Remus's arm. "You're really the best, Remus. We always see eye-to-eye."

"Hey! I always wait for you every morning since last week!" complained James.

She smirked at him. "I didn't ask you to."

"But Snape and those Death Eaters might corner and hurt you!"

Hermione stopped walking, released Remus's arm, and turned to James. "For Merlin's sake, Jamie, you don't have any proof that they are Death Eaters," she whispered harshly.

"I always see them on the map," James countered. "They're meeting every night in one room inside the Slytherin House... for hours! It's never happened before."

"Maybe it's a study group," she suggested. "If they're Death Eaters, they should have the Mark, right? Have you seen any of them Marked? And I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledore will know if there's a Death Eater in the castle."

James's facial expression hardened. "Still. Death Eater or not, those Snakes might still hurt you."

Hermione couldn't help the tears in her eyes. She wiped them using her shirt sleeve. "Thanks, Jamie. But don't worry too much about me..."

James's facial expression softened and he took her hand and squeezed it. The Head Boy only let go of her hand when they reached the Great Hall.

"Happy birthday again, Hermy," Remus and James said together before leaving her at the Ravenclaw table.

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"Thanks for the cake, Siri," Hermione said happily as they were walking in the corridors. Her friends threw her a party in an abandoned classroom on the second floor. It was their new hideout, and only her, Alice, Amelia, Alona, and the Gryffindor boys know about it.

"Oh, you're welcome, Hermy," Sirius replied kindly; surprisingly without any hint of arrogance.

"I can't believe you ordered a birthday cake for me. You didn't have to."

"Oh, but Amy's aunt is a good baker."

"And that's very sweet of you to patronize my aunt's pastries," said Amelia sweetly, looping her arm to Sirius.

"Anything for you, love."

Hermione giggled at the pair and suddenly, she bumped on to something hard: James Potter's back. He stopped walking and so did Remus and Sirius.

"What the - " But Amelia trailed off.

Behind James, Hermione peeked. She saw him a few feet away from them. He was with his pals: Toyin, Mulciber, Rosier, and Avery. They were all glaring at them.

Hermione felt a pang of pain in her chest upon seeing him glaring at her. She felt like she was stabbed in her heart. But she couldn't show them any sign of weakness. "Move, James," she told her friend, holding his hand.

Hermione and her friends continued walking but stopped chattering. She could feel his stare behind her back. She turned around and caught him and Toyin staring at her. She gave them a murderous glare. She only stopped when James stood in front of her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

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October 20, 1977

(eighteen years ago)

"Hey, Hermy!"

Hermione looked up at the owner of the cheery voice. She was still eating breakfast with her friends at the Ravenclaw table.

"Jamie?" she raised an eyebrow.

The Head Boy sat on the bench on the other side of the table so they were now face-to-face.

"Say, Hermy, it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin next weekend..."

"And?" she asked while pouring a glass of pumpkin juice.

"And Amelia's supporting Sirius. Aren't you going to support me?" He looked like a seven-year-old child trying to win her.

She laughed. "Okay, I'm finally supporting Gryffindor after six years," she declared with a smile.

"Great! Thanks, Hermy!" James literally jumped and ran back to their friends at the Gryffindor table.

"He's so cute," commented Alona with a chuckle.

"He's like a child," she shook her head but smiled too.

"But, are you just really friends?" Alona teased.

Hermione turned to her friend casually. "Of course."

"James likes making you happy..."

"But he still likes Lily," she whispered.

"And you still love Snape," Alona said sadly.

Hermione nodded rather mournfully. "Yeah. Unfortunately..."

"You've been friends for eight years... How can he throw something precious like that?" Alona sounded very upset.

Hermione shrugged. "Shit happens to people." She stood up and started packing her things.

"Hermione, wait! I'm sorry!" apologized Alona.

She looked down at her friend with a forced smile. "It's okay, Alona. I just feel like I want to be alone for a few minutes," she said with assurance and left the Great Hall to visit an abandoned room on the third floor.

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November 28, 1977

(eighteen years ago)

"What's the other way of getting a dragon's heartstring, again?" Remus asked, sounding very tired. They have been studying at the library for two hours now.

Hermione gave him an encouraging look. "I think we should call it a night. You look very tired. We even skipped dinner."

"Only because you refused to eat in the library," teased Remus.

They heard footsteps and both turned around to see Sirius and James approaching them. Sirius looked happy as usual, but James's face was the opposite. The Head Boy even looked very frustrated when he slumped on to the chair across Hermione.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Sirius casually.

"How's Quidditch practice?" asked Remus.

"Oh, it was fantastic."

Hermione frowned. "What's happened with James?"

Sirius laughed and elbowed James playfully. "Oh, our Head Boy was just cornered by a certain redhead witch after our practice."

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Sirius to say more.

"Evans, of course," shrugged Sirius.

"Lily? Why would she do that?" asked Remus.

"Because she thinks James still likes her," she quipped. "And she's right."

"James?" asked Remus.

"Moony, you have good marks, but when it comes to romance, you're daft." Sirius even facepalmed. Then, he turned to James. "Why can't you forget her? I mean, yeah, she's beautiful; waaaay beautiful than Hermione - "

"Sirius!" Remus chided.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "We're her friends." Then he met her eyes. "No offense, kitten. You're good-looking, we know that but Evans looks like a goddess when she's not talking and glaring."

She shrugged. "None taken, Siri."

"James, you have to find someone more worthy of your time - someone, who has a pure heart, like our Hermione," said Sirius patiently.

"I know," James whispered.

"What did Lily say anyway?" asked Remus.

James gave Hermione a bashful look. "She talked to me about you."

She wasn't surprised. She just raised an eyebrow, waiting for James to continue.

"She said, if you could throw your years of friendship with Snape, you will eventually turn your back on me and drop me like a hot pizza."

"What the hell is a pizza?" asked Sirius with annoyance.

"It's an Italian Muggle food," replied Remus.

"I'm not trying that," said Sirius in disdain.

"Oh, but Siri, it's the most delicious unhealthy food. I know you will enjoy it," she said with a giggle.

"You're not mad?" asked James, looking very surprised.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not mad at you and I kind of expected that attitude from Lily. I just wish she would try more to redeem instead of embarrassing herself."

"That's our Hermy! She never trash-talks anyone," Sirius said proudly.

Hermione smiled appreciatively at her handsome friend.