BITTERSWEET

Prologue

June 1997

They say it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Well, I have loved, and I have lost in a way no one can ever know. The love I had was deep enough that I will never be able to forget the pain it caused. My love created a new life. Although my heart is breaking in two I will have to be strong for myself, my friends, and my unborn child. I am hoping that once this is on paper I will never have to talk about it again.

I'm not stupid: I know my baby will one day have questions about "Daddy." When my child is old enough, I will allow him to read this journal, and he will know the cause of my eternal pain.

Until then, all he will be told is the stories of Hogwarts, of Harry, Ron, and the rest—the stories from my proper time. I will tell him about the marauders, but he will never know the truth. At least, not for many years.

It never should have been. Our love defied the laws of the world and crossed the stream of time. It never should have happened, but it did. For whatever reason, fate twisted in a way that the destinies of two people separated by many years collided.

My name is Hermione Granger, and this is my story of a year filled with love, pain, and bittersweet regret. His name was Sirius Black.