So, like I said, another Chapter! I'm really cranking them out today, making up for lost time I guess. Anyways, please review and enjoy. :)

.

.

.

"All of you, before I come to me senses and punish you for fighting magical or otherwise."

.

With most students in class it was easy to get Remus back to the common rooms in one piece with little more than a few glares from the portraits. Now, once they had returned to the common rooms it was the glares from their house mates that they had to deal with. Remus was hurried upstairs by Sirius who was doing everything he could to keep his temper in check let alone Remus', while Hermione followed and James and Lily, being Head Boy and Girl stayed behind to clean house. Hermione could hear the shouting even from behind the spelled door. This would not end well for a few unlucky students; served them right though for being so prejudiced though.

Hermione stood leaning heavily against the door she had just spelled shut and silenced, inside and out; with that the shouting outside ceased to jumble her thoughts. Though as she was quickly finding out, one problem resolved leads to many more.

"So, why did you jinx me?" Sirius asked stepping away from the bolt right Remus sitting uncomfortably on his bed.

Hermione closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It was instinct. I was in a war, someone does something like that, well, you react accordingly."

"Yeah, sure, but I don't see how putting my hand over your mouth has anything to do with war." He narrowed his eyes and for a second flicked them across Hermione's forearm where the word was etched into her skin. "Is it because of… that?" He asked gesturing to the scar.

"Yes." She answered briskly her now open eyes dark with the memory. "It is. Now, can we drop it and focus on the issue at hand?" She asked trying desperately to regain control of both the conversation and her emotions.

"Well, how does one solve this "issue" then?" Remus asked snipping at Hermione with his words, clearly hurt by her wording and easy dismissal of his emotions on the subject.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes again realizing her miss wording. "Well, Lily and James are doing what they can to calm the situation, but really, this is all about how we can help to lessen the blow to you, both physically and emotionally. There is no denying that it likely will get physical, especially once the Slytherins have found out. Really though, we have fear on our side and we should use it."

Sirius balked, his own shock mirroring Remus'. "Kind hearted, caring, book-worm Remus use fear as a weapon?" Sirius asked exasperated. "No way, not possible." Remus chimed in with him.

Hermione nodded her eyes still closed so as to not meet either boy's eyes. "We will have to deal with future and present Deatheaters though and fear will be the only thing to keep you safe from them."

"What about us? Hmm?" Sirius added clearly frustrated.

"What? You want to be his bodyguard?" Hermione's eyes flash open with impatience as she gestures to Remus who is even more upset if that was even possible.

"We are always with him anyways, let alone the fact that we are some of the best duelers in Hogwarts, bloody hell, you're probably better than most Aurors, Hermione." Sirius shouted

Hermione's eyes flicked to Remus'. "Fine. When Lily and James get back, we'll talk to them about it."

As if on cue a thundering erupted from the door making Hermione jump and whip out her wand so fast Sirius had to wonder how it never snagged on her robes. After a beat of realizing who it must be Hermione silently undid her spells and let a flustered Lily and positively angry James into the room.

"That was a disaster. I don't even understand how they learned it so fast, I mean really?" Lily sat on the floor by James' bed which he was now occupying.

Hermione winced visibly and Sirius glanced at Remus before explaining their plan to the couple sitting across from them. The plan was received with a shared glance between the tired couple and a nod to Sirius. "Okay." James said resting a hand on Lily's shoulder. "It shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "First years through third will be too terrified to do anything beyond glare or stare, fourth years will whisper and spread rumors right on up until you get to the sixth years and seventh years that will do all three and possibly attack. Ravenclaw will be too smart to try seeing as they probably know full well what we are capable of. Hufflepuffs may be more gossipy than anything but I'm sure one or two might be brave enough to say something directly. Gryffindor will likely have our back, or most of it anyways seeing as we are their house just as much as any others. We will get them simply because James and Sirius are their role models, let alone Lily. Our real threat will be the Slytherins, though not all of them. Most know we are too good at dueling to attack openly, but they will raise petitions and those that do attack will be backed up fiercely." She spoke in a blur counting off on her fingers, clearly having worked this all out in her head only moments before.

Everyone nodded along glancing at each other for further understanding before Remus raised his hand. Hermione gave him an annoyed look. "Yes, Remus?"

"Your bloody serious aren't you?" He glared at Sirius before he could comment on his name.

"Yes. So, with all that being said, are you all still willing?" She turned her ice blue eyes on everyone in the room, even Remus. Each one met her gaze with a small nod, except Remus.

"I can't let you all do it. Not without both of the girls not having any kind of quick escape like you two." He spoke more two Padfoot and Prongs than the 'girls' as he had so dubbed them.

Hermione bristled, as did Lily. Hermione stalked forward gripping Remus' Shoulder and turning his body to face her. "I can do more than you think, Remus. And I would gratefully appreciate it if you didn't single the two of us out," She gestured to both herself and Lily. "If anything, you don't have a way out." She pressed a finger hard into his chest. He replied with a slack jawed look at the cold fire staring at him.

Now that he really looked he could see the tension this was putting on her. He reached out and brushed a hair off of her cheek frustrated tears falling down them. The tears came faster as Hermione thought back to the last time this man had done that exact thing. She pulled away brushing the tears back with the sleeve of her robe. "Fine, Hermione, I just want you to be safe and I'm sure James agrees."Remus said to which James nodded.

Hermione laughed softly at first then building until she was practically shaking. "I haven't been safe since I was eleven, Remus." She looked at him her eyes still glassy with tears and memories, a certain author she had known would have said something about the ghosts of her past, but she pushed that thought away easily.

It was then that Remus, Sirius, James and Lily realized the gravity of Hermione's past.


A few hours later, dinner, to be exact, the group of five emerged into the Great Hall and all conversation seemed to cease as the four friends shifted into body guards each at one of the cardinal points around Remus. James stood tall at the front of their group, Lily to Remus' right and Sirius to Remus' left with Hermione flanking the rear. The hushed whispers didn't affect her as much after being friends with the Chosen one which is why she was at the back, where the most whispering would come from. Cool glares usually quieted them enough though and that is exactly what everyone that even looked twice at the group got. They sat two to each side of Remus James and Lily on one side and Sirius and Hermione on the other. It was like it had been rehearsed and it was easy, even natural now that they all thought it over.

The group was given ample room at their own table as they ate. There wasn't even a real incident until a small Ravenclaw girl; maybe fifteen stepped up behind them. "Are you really a Werewolf?" She asked, her voice dreamy. Hermione turned around suddenly her eyes wide as she looked at an almost exact copy of Luna, even down to the odd jewelry.

Remus turned as well and looked the girl in the eyes a small nod was all he gave her and she smiled at him nodding back. "I think you're brains make up for whatever it is you do once a month. You're intelligent. We need more people like you around." And with that, she walked off flouncing at each step. Hermione smiled fondly at her memories of Luna before shaking her head and turning back to her meal a small chuckle escaping past her lips.


When it was curfew at last Remus was curled up asleep more relaxed in sleep than he had been all day. The girls had left only a half an hour before, sleep making Hermione both lethargic and easily frustrated. She had been tense all day and it was clear by both her temper and the smudges under her eyes that she hadn't been sleeping right; not that Lily didn't keep him updated on that anyway. It concerned him and had him even more worried of what would happen should anyone attack.


Hermione sat up for a few hours practicing her mental exercises for becoming an Animagus. They were tiring and would hopefully let her get a full night's sleep as per Lily's orders.

Lily, on the other hand had taken to sleeping lightly, even in such a short period of time. She created a silencing charm that split the room in half. She and Lily being able to hear each other, but no one else getting disturbed by them, or more specifically Hermione's nightmares.

Hermione woke with a start her heart hammering in her chest. She tried to think back as to what it was she had seen. Everything from the dream had been muddled.

She had made her way up the ladder to the Divination classroom and sat in front of one of the crystal balls, it was glowing even though everything in it was clouded by fog. The fog had started to lift and she could see Hogwarts as she had left it, in ruins but something was different. It was the—

And that's when she had awoken much to her own annoyance. These dreams were starting to get more and more… realistic. She wasn't a seer, never had been and never could be, it wasn't in her blood, but here she was, having visions. She glanced at the crack between her curtains and sighed at the barely waning light. She wouldn't get anymore sleep anyways so she might as well get up.


Half an hour later she was nestled on the couch in front of the empty fireplace. She just looked around admiring how nothing had changed in nearly 20 years. It was comforting. If she focused really hard she could imagine Harry or Ron or even one of his brothers coming through the portrait hole after a night of running around and causing trouble. They wouldn't even recognize her anymore.

The pain in her chest made her sob and run a hand through her already rumpled hair. She couldn't go back, not yet, not until she was done, but even then… Hermione doubted she ever would go back. No one would know her anymore anyways. It was that that really drove the stake into her heart and tore at her mind. No matter what she did, she could never have her life back, not the way she wanted.

James came down the stairs stretching his shoulders. It was Monday, Mondays meant he practiced until breakfast, whatever the weather. When he came to the bottom of the stairs and happened upon the ball of emotion that seemed to be Hermione he approached slowly resting a hand on her shoulder. He was wary after the last time one of them had done such, but instead of nearly attacking she looked up at him a small smile breaking her face before it came crashing down and she turned back to bury her head in her hands. James caught her cheek and stopped her before she could. "Come on, we are getting out of here."

She didn't put up a fight or even try to; she followed grabbing her things from the couch beside her. She followed silently, so silently James had to glance back a few times to make sure she was still there. He gave her a weak smile and took her hand as he led her through a passage way that was littered with little cracks and stones he knew she might trip on. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently nearly whispering.

"I don't know", Came the depressing and mumbled reply.

"Well, then we will just have to keep walking in silence." James hated silence but if that was what his friend needed he would give it to her.

They made it out of the front hall and too the pitch in record time due to their use of the odd passage every now and then. James left her standing outside the brrom closet as he went and grabbed two brooms.

When he came out he handed one to her ignoring her small protests. "I'm afraid of flying." She told him making him shake his head.

"A brave Gryffindor like you? Face your fears, Granger." He added her last name, her real last name, making her smile.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Well, it can't be worse than the Dragon, can it?" She mumbled trying to rouse her courage.

James balked. "You've ridden a Dragon and you're afraid of a broom?"

Hermione nodded. "Thestrals and Hippogriffs too."

James' shook his head. "Get on your broom 'Mione."

And with that she did and they took off keeping low to the ground at first and then slowly, without Hermione knowing it, they rose until they were very close to what James flew during matches.

Hermione laughed and looked anywhere but down as she straddled the broom and watched James dive and fly circles around her. He was so much like Harry that Hermione wished she could see the two of them together. That would be a match to see.

It was at least two hours later when they landed, Hermione's hair a disaster. It occurred to her that this explained a lot about James' hair. If you spent enough time being up in the air it just had to stay that way.

Hermione picked her things up as James put away the brooms and didn't even try to fix her hair. She knew it would never work. When James returned she hugged him, much to his surprise. "Thank you. I was missing home and… of everyone that could have found me, I'm glad it was you. You are so much like Harry, you would be proud."

James grinned and watched the red slowly come back to her flushed cheeks. It made him proud of both his son and his choice in friends. Hermione looked so happy with her horribly windblown hair and cheeks. They walked back to the castle with him teasing her hair and she returning the teasing and elbowing him gently. It was only when they walked into the Great Hall that they had realized their huge mistake. They'd left Remus with only Lily and Sirius and they were nowhere to be found and neither was a small group of Slytherins known for trouble. This would not and could not be a good thing.

.

Well, I hope you liked it. I will get the next chapter up as soon as I finish writing it, promise! I need to get back on track and keep this going because I nearly didn't. No failing for me. So, please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!