A/N Hey everyone.
Quick thanks to 'CGinny', 'SuperPotterWhoLockFan', 'TempestinTime', 'Lupinesence', 'NeonDomino' and 'PINKPUNKGUITAR' for the wonderful reviews. You are all so positive and it really helps. I don't think I'd be pushing out chapters so quickly if it wasn't for your support.
Skipping forward to their fourth year now, I decided that waiting until fifth year for Animagus transformations is just too long. And before anyone decides that Hermione is being very un-Hermione like, just remember in this she's Hermione Lupin not Hermione Granger. Lot of Love and enjoy
HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB
November 12th 1974
Hermione walked into the girls toilets on the on the first floor. Moaning Myrtle could be heard bubbling in the last toilet in the row. Sirius was sitting on the floor near the sinks he'd been there over night to ensure that the dried puff skein skin was added to the potion as soon as it had finished stewing for 14hours and 52 minutes. She watched him as he carefully strained the stewed mix into the full potion, changing from a dark muddy brown to a light sky blue. He smiled looking up at her.
"Almost done" he said yawning loudly. She smiled back at him, helping up off the floor.
"Go to bed" she said pushing him to the door, "I'll finish up and we'll meet up with James later tonight"
"Yeah right, like I'm going to let you finish this thing and take all the glory"
The three of them had been working secretly on the potion from Hermione's book for the last 2 years. The first three attempts they added a part too quickly, and then the next four exploded at some point or another. This time they had created a strict framework around the potion. One of them had been with it at all times. There was only 3 hours left before the potion would be completed. Three hours and they would be one step closer to being Animagi.
"Fine" she said, "but don't expect me to feel sorry for you"
Hermione had developed a weird kind of friendship with James and Sirius. United over a common goal; help Remus
James had, since the end of their third year, had started to call out ridiculous declarations of love at Lily, which only succeeded in making the red head furious and endeavour to avoid him at all costs. She didn't care for his looks or his position on the Quidditch team but that didn't stop him trying. Both he and Sirius had grown, physically at least, a great deal in 4 years, but Sirius had filled out as well.
The Gryffindor beater had girls throwing themselves at him left, right and centre. His tall frame, lightly muscled body, long shaggy hair that graced his shoulders and dark slate eyes were a deadly combination.
Hermione had grown too, her face had lost some of its roundness, lips had become fuller, hair was longer and more honey coloured, and she had slight curves that distinguished her as no longer being a child, but not an adult either. Remus was taller than her now, after being the same height for so long. His body filled out with ropey muscles more to do with his regular transformations than any kind of exercise. Small scars had begun to litter his back and chest from where his skin tore during his change.
"You know" Sirius interrupted her thoughts yawning again, washing his face in one of the sinks "This will be like giving myself an early birthday present, not just a Christmas present for Remus"
Hermione mulled over his opinion, it was true – Sirius birthday was less than 48 hours away but none of them bothered with it, in an attempt to discourage his fan base.
They sat in silence that Hermione preferred and Sirius was happy to give her. Two hours later they sat looking at their potion that had changed to a pale lime green shade quite successfully. Hermione felt like her heart could burst with happiness. Nine years after Remus was bitten and four after she had set this goal for her and it was finally ready.
Sirius poured the potion into three separate crystal phials, about two mouthfuls each. Putting a stopper in each of them, Sirius looked at Hermione
"Tonight?"
"Tonight" she agreed, "Forbidden Forest"
HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB
Three students made their way out of Gryffindor tower under an invisibility cloak. On reaching the Forbidden Forest they removed the cloak looking at each other with apprehension and excitement.
"Who goes first?" James asked stowing the cloak under his robes. A mad grin plastered across his face Sirius stepped up to the plate.
"To your health" He toasted, slamming the potion back. He grimaced slightly.
"Taste bad?" James queried. Sirius shook his head, shivers running down his spine.
"No….really cold….brain freeze" he managed to spit out. Shaking it out; he closed his eyes and concentrated. The air vibrated around them; and after a few moments where once stood Sirius Black stood a very large shaggy black dog. Hermione looked at him curiously.
"I think all those times I called you 'good boy' must have rubbed off on you" she stated grinning. The dog looked at her with a very human kind of exasperation, before slowly changing back into the young Gryffindor boy they knew.
"Aahhh," Sirius exclaimed "it feels really weird" shaking out his shoulders again. James went next, slightly more cautious about how quickly he drank the potions.
"Neurgh!" he managed to get out from between his teeth, "I think the brain freeze is unavoidable." Within moments in his place stood a dark stag, with tiny light coloured marks around his eyes similar to James' round glasses but almost unnoticeable unless you were looking for it.
"Nerdy looking stag James" Sirius laughed noticing the markings. James changed back shoving Sirius to the ground.
"At least I don't have fleas" he said grinning at his friend. The two of them now looked at Hermione expectantly. Hermione swallowed nervously, raised the potion to them before tipping the contents down her throat.
Her face scrunched up from the sudden burst of cold that up her throat and behind her sinus. Closing her eyes she felt her mind go blank and all the theory she studied behind the transformation, that they all studied made sense; in an upside down backwards sort of way. It made sense that there were very few Animagi out in the world. A warm feeling spread through her chest and out into her arms and legs. She felt her bones shift and re-arrange themselves, not painfully but it did give the sensation that they'd all turned to jelly. She felt herself shrinking down, noises in the forest becoming louder as her hearing range expanded. The smells around her becoming more complex. Opening her eyes she looked around her. She saw James and Sirius looking down on her.
"You know it's too bad you didn't turn into a horse James" Sirius commented, "then we would've had all the necessary ingredients for and English hunting party"
Where Hermione had stood there was now a small red fox, though her coat was coloured more like Hermione's hair than a true red-orange of a standard fox, black legs and a glorious bushy tail. The fox stuck its tongue out at Sirius which caused both boys to burst out laughing for such a human mannerism to be displayed by the small animal.
Hermione concentrated, feeling the vibrations in the air and the feeling of her bones returning to jelly as they re-arranged themselves. On returning to her proper human size she let out a very girly squeal. .They had done it, they were Animagi.
HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB
December 25th 1974
The Lupin twins made the decision to stay at Hogwarts that Christmas with Sirius and James. Hermione had asked Lily to stay as well, but as soon as she found out that James (or 'that git' as she preferred to call him) she made her excuses and decided home was a better option. It was only the four of them left behind for the holidays as well a couple of seventh years trying to get a head start on studying for their N.E.W.T's.
Christmas morning came and Hermione met her brother and his two closest friends down in the common room.
"Merry Christmas!" Sirius yelled, he had tinsel wrapped around his torso and lengths of it hanging of him arms. He pushed a Santa hat on her head and led her down to the couch where he brother was sitting. Sirius had gotten to him already, he was sporting a red and green pointed hat and fake pointy ears. She couldn't help but giggle at him and James who had a pair of felt antler and a large red bow tied onto his head and was wearing almost as much tinsel as Sirius.
"He gets a bit over excited at Christmas" James explained gesturing to their prescribed outfits.
"You would too if all your Christmases were just stuffy dinners with old relatives who are nearly dead" Sirius retorted throwing more tinsel at his best friend.
They sat and opened their gifts from each other and their families. Hermione received a large box of Honeydukes chocolate and some reading books from her brother, a beautiful cashmere scarf from Lily in her favourite shade of blue (giggling slightly because she had bought the same thing for Lily except in a dark emerald green), a new quill and ink set from Sirius which surprised her as she had pointed it out months ago during a Hogsmeade visit. She got to the last one from James and opened it up. Inside was a dark red cloak with a hood and a small woven basket.
She looked at him curiously, holding up the gift. James just smiled and pointed to Remus.
"To match Remus" He said simply. She looked at her twin who had unwrapped his own present from James, revealing a tee-shirt with the words 'Big, Bad' printed on the front, frowning slightly not understanding the reference.
Hermione threw a cushion at James' head
"You're such a dick sometimes Potter, you really are" she told him, failing to mask the laughter in his voice. Sirius who had just worked out the connection was rolling on the floor laughing madly. Remus looked at his sister for guidance, whatever the joke it was over his head.
"Red riding hood and the big, bad wolf, Remmy" she supplied rolling her eyes. Remus threw a slipper at his friend.
"Prat" he mumbled under his breath, smile playing across his face.
HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB HGSB
After dinner Hermione, Sirius and James led a confused Remus across the grounds.
"Where are we going?" he asked for what seemed like the 100th time and for the 100th time none of them answered him. Eventually they stopped at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"What's going on?" Remus looked between his sister and his friends.
"One last present Remus, from us to you" James said a mischievous glint in his eye. Remus didn't like were this was heading. His wolf senses pick up the vibrations and the accompanying hum in the air very quickly, how the smell of the air changed like it was about to rain even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He watched as they shrank or grew, sprouting hair and tails, how they changed from people he knew to animals in front of him. His mouth opened at closed like a fish as he looked at the large stag, the giant of a dog and a small fox the size of a house cat. They changed back and Remus felt a little faint.
"When?...How?...Why?" he asked, trying to comprehend what was going on around him. Hermione walked up to her brother reaching for his hands.
"Last month while you had that cold. With a lot of research and hard work, trust me I've been working on it with them for the past 2 years. And so you wouldn't be alone Remus" she finished giving her twins' hands a gentle squeeze. Remus looked at her long and hard.
"But you can't be with me when I change, it's not safe….I'm not safe! I could kill you!" he cried out, looking at them with horror.
"That's a possibility if we were to come with you as humans" James piped up, "but as animals, it shouldn't be an issue"
"Besides James and I are such large animals when we change, surely between the two of us we can keep one of you in check" Sirius added smiling.
"You can't tell us not to Remus, we're going to be with you. To help you. And you can't tell on us either; because we've done this illegally and you don't want us to get in trouble do you?" his twin finished smiling innocently.
Remus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You're all fucking mad, aren't you?" he said, more as a statement than a question.
"What can we say Remus, you're rubbing off on us" Sirius joked. Punching his friend in the arm they all shared a laugh. He was okay with them, he thought it was ridiculously dangerous and if any of them got hurt he'd hate himself. But even so, they went through all of this just for him, he couldn't help but smile.
The four of them made their way back up to the castle laughing and joking along the way. They were stopped at the front door by Dumbledore, a grave look across his usually cheerful face, no light shining in his eyes
"Mr and Miss Lupin" Dumbledore looked at the two of them, their smiles rapidly falling from their faces, "I need you to follow me please, something has happened to your mother"
A/N Yes I'm ending the chapter there. Tell me what you think, tell me your opinion of Hermione's Animagus! I didn't make her a wolf because it just seemed too obvious. And I made her small because I've written out Peter. I have to name her Animagus form too so feel free to leave any suggestions!
