Chapter Seven

Being Human

Over the next few weeks, things progressed normally for the four friends. After the confrontation with Malfoy, both Sirius and Hermione kept their eyes peeled for anyone else who had problems with them, for being in Gryffindor, but for now at least, there were no problems for the twins. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, just a few days away from Halloween, and Lily and Hermione were knee deep in their course books, studying for an upcoming test, in defense against the dark arts. They weren't the only ones in the Gryffindor common room, but everyone knew to leave Lily Evans and Hermione Black alone, when they were studying. All except for the three boys that were usually following right behind them, wherever they went, like today for instance.

"What are you two doing?" Lily looked up from her intense study of her textbook, and frowned as James jumped onto the couch to sit next to Hermione, who only shook her head at him, and gave him a small smile, then went back to her book, so she could finish her notes on Cornish pixies. Sirius sat on the other side of his sister, and leaned his head back against the couch, and put his feet on to the small table in front of him, making himself at home, like he was king. Remus sat down next to Lily, and rolled his eyes, at his two best friends behavior.

"What does it look like, Potter? We're studying. Something I'm sure you know nothing about." Lily closed her book and stared at him. "What do you want anyway? Bored of picking on Severus again, so you decided to bother us?" At that, Hermione's head shot up, and raised a delicate brow at James. "What does she mean, picking on Severus again? What did you do?" James had a scared look on his face, and looked to Remus and Sirius for help, but they both shook their heads. They knew not to get involved when Hermione was on the verge of becoming angry.

He waved his hands at her in an attempt to downplay what he had done. "Nothing really Mia, I just hexed him for a little bit." Hermione closed her book, basically abandoning it so she could focus all her attention on James. "James Charlus Potter, what did that boy do to deserve being hexed?" If anything Hermione was disappointed in James. She knew that he hadn't taken her friendship with Severus that well, when she and Lily had told the boys about being friends with the young Slytherin, but she at least thought that he would support her, not this.

"He actually had a good reason for this one Mione." Remus explained. "Do tell Remus. What kind of reason does he have to hex one of my friends?" Lily asked with a scowl on her face. "Is it because he's Slytherin? Because he likes to read? Or is it because Potter is simply jealous that he's friends with me and Hermione?" Sirius took over the explanation. "Snape watched as Malfoy called a first year hufflepuff a mudblood, simply because she had run into him on the way to her class." Lily turned to look at him, and she could see the barely concealed anger in his eyes, as he told his story.

"He did nothing Lily, as a fellow member of his house called a girl younger than him a fucking word that should not exist, and did nothing. Does that not warrant being hexed?" Hermione looked into the eyes of her brother, and they locked eyes. "Did he really do nothing Sirius?" "HERMIONE!" Lily exclaimed in outrage, "You can't really condone what Potter did, can you?" "Don't yell at her." James yelled at the redhead. Hermione laid a hand on James's arm, and he calmed down slightly, but he was still vibrating with anger at what happened, and of the way this conversation was turning.

"Lily, do you even know what the word mudblood means?" Hermione asked her best friend. She had to figure out a way to impress the evil of this on Lily, so she could understand the big picture, that involved people like her. "No, but it's not really that bad is it?" Lily tried to ignore the wince coming from the four of them, but it was hard. "What does it mean Mione?" She whispered.

"It means dirty blood. It's a really foul name that righteous egotistical purebloods like to call muggle born witches and wizards, mainly because they think muggleborns are beneath them. It's not one usually hears in normal conversations." "Like Malfoy." Remus supplied, his anger just as fresh as Sirius and James. "But back to your question Lily, I don't condone what James did. " "But..." James tried to interrupt. Hermione held up her hand to stop him. "While I don't condone what he did, I do understand it Lily. Severus knows the ramifications of that word, and he did nothing to stop Malfoy from inflicting anymore pain on that girl. It's why anyone of us will defend you to the ends of the earth, if someone ever called you that fucking filthy word."

"It's why we would defend anyone if they were called that word." Sirius finished up, and he put a arm around his sister's shoulders for comfort. He knew this whole thing was a touchy subject for Hermione. She had absolutely hated the words their mother had said in the howlers, and now she had to face it again. "Is something the matter Hermione?" The group of five looked up to see Alice Burke, her arms loaded with books, looking at everyone with a confused look on her face. "Did I miss something?"

Remus shook his head and stood up, and bowed deeply before the fellow first year. The students nearby started smiling and laughing at Remus's display, including his own friends. James was laughing so hard, that his head unconsciously fell into Hermione's lap, but she saw nothing of it. She just began stroking his hair, which eventually calmed him down in the process. "Nothing my fair lady Alice. We were all just placing bets on when Mr. Longbottom wises up and ask you out."

They all watched as Alice's cheek turned pink, and tried to hide behind her books, but Sirius would have none of it. He got up, walked over to Alice, pulling her close, making her drop her things, and began twirling her around the common room. "Sirius. Let me go." She said in protest. He ignored her and gave her his most dazzling smile. "My dear sweet Alice. We all know what you think of our young Mr. Longbottom. We have seen you look at him, and quite frankly Ms. Burke, you've already been claimed."

Alice raised a brow and looked at Sirius as if he had been dropped on his head as a baby. "Oh really? Claimed by who?" "Me." Every eye turned to look at Hermione, who all gave them innocent smiles. She turned and looked at Alice. "It's quite simple Alice. Besides Lily, you are someone I see as my sister. I also see you as one of my best friends. And what everyone here can attest to is that what I claim is mine, and I don't share. " She finished with a brilliant smile to the pixie like girl, who simply shook her head and smiled.

"You know that there is something seriously wrong with you two Black twins, right?" She asked with a fond smile. Sirius shrugged his shoulders, as he let go of Alice, and helped her picked up her books. "We never claimed otherwise." "But really? What was with the depressing mood I walked into over here?" "Nothing. Just an arse being an arse." Lily said with a scowl. Alice raised a brow as she sat down next to the red. "What is that supposed to mean Lils?"

"You might as well tell her Evans, or else we'll be here all day." Sirius said as he retook his spot on the couch, and pushed James's head away, so his sister could pay attention to himself instead. "Can I help you?" Hermione asked her brother, a frown on her face, as she gave James an apology with her eyes. James just rolled his eyes, and took Hermione's hand, interlacing their fingers. Despite their conversation weeks earlier in front of the great hall, and after their first quidditch lesson, they couldn't stay away from each other. They had to have some physical contact. A hug, holding hands, leaning their heads on each other's shoulders. Just something to let both of them know that they were still there. Still alive.

"Just ignore them. They act like that all the time." Lily explained with a smile. Her smile faded slowly as she remembered what they had been talking about earlier. "Potter hexed Severus for not standing up for someone." "That's not all what happened." Sirius took over, making sure nothing was left out. "What's she forgetting to mention is that Snape saw firsthand how Malfoy called a first year hufflepuff girl a mudblood, simply because she had run into Malfoy on the way to class, and she ended up in tears at the end of it, and Snape did not do a damn thing to stop it."

Alice sighed and looked at her red-headed friend. "Lily..." Lily looked at her in protest. "NO.. Alice, don't tell me you agree with them as well?" Lily crossed her arms, and looked to be on the verge of tears. "He's my best friend Alice." Lily whispered softly so that Alice was the only one to hear her. Alice smiled faintly, and put a hand on top of Lily's. "I know he's your best friend Lily. But I also know he had a chance to do the right thing, and he didn't." Alice put two fingers underneath Lily's chin, and raised it up.

"Let me ask you a question Lily. What if it was you that had been called that word, and Severus did nothing, said nothing to defend you? His own best friend? How would you feel then?" Alice let go and simply watched the girl, waiting for her answer. "I would be miserable. I would feel miserable." "Then can you understand why James would do something like that? He probably didn't want that girl to feel worse than she already did, when Malfoy called her that word."

Lily gave an long sigh and finally turned her eyes to the boys sitting around her. "I guess I can understand it, but why are you constantly fighting other people just because they say that word?", "I mean, I get why, but why does it have to be you three?" "It's simple Evans. We've had to grow up with this prejudice hanging over our heads. Constantly being warned not to make friends with muggle kids our age. Stay away from muggleborns when we get to Hogwarts. It's our first year, and quite honestly I'm sick of purebloods who think that they are better than everyone else, so much so, that it makes me ashamed to be a pureblood sometimes." James explained, fire in his hazel eyes.

He continued after cooling off some of his anger, by squeezing Hermione's hand in his. "Granted my parents aren't like that, but still, the principle is the same." Sirius took over next. "Considering who my family is, both myself and Mione have had to listen to our mother rant and rave about how the wizarding world is going to the dogs and all that rubbish, simply because muggleborns are here at Hogwarts. In fact, I'll be completely honest here. After the sorting mother wasn't exactly happy with the two of us being sorted into Gryffindor."

Hermione gave him a look, that basically said shut the hell up, but he ignored her. "What do you mean, she wasn't exactly happy with the two of you?" Remus asked, as his eyes narrowed at James, because he didn't seem fazed by this piece of information like Remus was. "Sirius..." He shook his head at her. "I'm sorry Mione, but they are our friends. They deserve to know." He turned and faced Lily, Alice and Remus. "Mother sent the two of us howlers." At Alice's gasp, Lily looked at her and frowned. "I'm assuming that by that reaction, howlers are bad things?"

"Very bad things Lily. What did she say to the two of you Sirius?" Alice asked, with sympathetic eyes towards the twins. "Basically that by being in Gryffindor, we're on the road to being nothing but blood traitors and mudblood lovers. And don't give me that look Hermione Walburga Black. They needed to know. And don't think for a second that it escaped my notice that James didn't look shocked by this information. When did you tell him?"

She rolled her eyes, and pushed Sirius's head off her lap, so that James could take back his spot, which he did. He still had hold of Hermione's hand. "It's not any of your damn business what I tell James. I just don't think we should air our families dirty laundry in the common room. In case you couldn't tell, we're not exactly in private." "I don't even know why you two are fighting over me. There's enough to share." James said to lighten the situation, but it didn't help one bit.

Hermione did however crack a small smile at his feeble attempt at a joke, and focused right back on her brother, who for some reason was giving James a death glare. "What is your problem now?" He simply ignored her, and looked at James. "I suggest you stay out of it. If you hadn't told her about your stupid soul bond, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in right now, thanks to you." James and everyone else looked at Sirius in shock.

James stood up and gave Sirius a death glare in return. "What the bloody hell does that mean?" The entire common room watched in silent rapture at the fight ensuing between the two young first years. "It means that my mother found out and she's threatening to disown Hermione from the family if you two go on with the details involved with a soul bond in the future. She will no longer be a Black and I will not let that happen."

"Well who fucking told her? I sure as hell didn't." James asked in outrage. "It doesn't matter James." "Hermione..." Everyone watched as Hermione stood up, and let go James's hand, and stood face to face with her brother. Everyone behind Sirius could see the tear tracks on Hermione's face, and their hearts broke for the young girl. Sirius looked shocked that he could make his own sister cry.

"Your my brother. My twin." "Hermione..." Sirius whispered in protest. "Your my twin." She continued as if he hadn't had spoken. "We've had each other's backs since we were born. Everything we did, was in support of each other. I thought that out of anyone here who would have my back, would support me no matter what, it would be you Sirius. But I guess what everyone says about our family is true. We really can't trust each other."

Everyone watched as Hermione picked up her things and made her way to the portrait that lead outside of the tower. The last thing she said, nearly tore Sirius apart at the seams. "Do you have anymore knives to throw into my back Sirius?"