All four boys ended up in detention for three nights. Lily studied with Severus and Hermione in the library and the two girls were finally able to grow close. Something that made Harry extremely happy, Hermione needed female friends. At home she'd had Ginny and Luna to an extent but for the most part, she'd just been with him and Ron. As happy as it made him, it was also hard, Hermione had never not been at his side.
Tuesday Peter had ignored them all but Wednesday he went to sit with them again; it was clear things weren't the same though. He didn't jump to agree with anything James said and sat away from Sirius. Mostly though things settled down.
It was two more weeks before Hermione and Harry were able to transform, her into the same chocolate brown cat she'd seen in her vision and he into a beautiful falcon. Immediately he took flight with a cry to the moon. Hermione smirked in her cat form, of course he'd be a bird, no wonder he could fly the way he could right from the first instant he got on a broom, he was at home in the air. They were birds of speed and agility, focus, intelligence, prophecy, power and determination. Birds were always a symbol of freedom and change, of hope, all things Harry had always been a symbol of too.
Hermione was amused to find an odd growth pattern in his feathers gave him a lightening bolt on the right side above his beak to his forehead just in front of his eye.
They agreed not to tell anyone until the full moon and surprise the boys. They also weren't planning on registering until after they were sure Voldemort was dead, completely dead, and not returning but Hermione, rule followers as she was, insisted that once it was safe they'd register properly.
So on the 25th of November they waited until the other boys had snuck out and Harry jumped out his window and tapped on Hermione's. She slipped out and down to the common room, transforming to slink through the halls and outside.
Harry flew and landed on James's antlers startling the buck and making Peter scurry back to the base of the whomping willow in fright. Sirius huffed out a doggy laugh until Hermione bounded up to him and sat with a glare. Understanding flowed through them as the animals recognized each other and soon Remus had joined them. Harry took flight and Hermione wound around the werewolves foot before meowing and darting into the woods. Sirius immediately took chase with Remus and then James following last. Peter was never able to keep up with them but they quickly circled back from the run and all played together. As soon as the sky began to light they lay down and waited for Remus to become human, huddling close to keep him warm from the November cold. Quickly Sirius transformed and grabbed clothes they kept near and covered his friend. Human again the five friends met Hermione at the school steps; she'd left to give Remus privacy once the change started, knowing he wouldn't keep his clothes like they did.
Exhaustion was replaced by renewed excitement as the boys discussed the addition to their secret. James proclaimed them both true marauders now and immediately demanded the creation of names.
"Whiskers?" Remus nudged Hermione chuckling.
"Meow." James suggested, "Or Puss."
"Fluffy." Peter suggested, making Harry and Hermione share a small smile of remembrance but shake their heads no.
"Kitten." Sirius told him winking at her, "She's always been Kitten."
"To you." She agreed with a blush, because she had been, in both of her lives.
"Kitten isn't really very subtle." Peter offered.
"Neither is Prongs or Moony." Sirius shrugged and insisted. "She's Kitten."
"To you mate, but do you really want us all calling her that?" James chuckled, "Let's go with Whiskers."
"What about Harry?" Sirius conceded to his friends point on Hermione's new nickname, James was right, she could only be Kitten to him.
"Flappy." James suggested.
"Tweety." Remus chuckled making Hermione and Harry both laugh and shake their heads.
"Hell no." Harry told him with a shove.
"Zippy." Peter offered.
"Wings." Sirius rolled his eyes at them.
"Obviously." James snorted shoving his friend.
"Welcome to the Marauders Wings and Whiskers." The boys laughed wandering in for an early breakfast.
The joy of the morning was shattered when James was led away by the Headmaster, "You should come too Mr. Black." Dumbledore requested, leading the boys out.
An hour later the boys were found hiding in the dorm, James curled in his bed and Sirius hexing or throwing things between stomping around.
"Sirius?" Hermione bravely moved closer to the raging and angry teen. He shot tear filled eyes at her and ripped another page out of his sketchbook.
"My mum died last night, dragonpox." James croaked, "Dad followed this morning."
Harry grabbed Peter and whispered, "Get Lily." Then moved to the bed and sank down, he hadn't ever really thought much about his grandparents. They might have even been at the train station in September and he never even saw them. Remus moved to Sirius but the boy shoved his friend away and threw the remains of the journal at the wall before blasting it.
"Why couldn't it be someone who deserved it! Someone hateful!" He shouted spinning on Remus, "WHY COULDN'T IT BE THEM!" He blasted the last name on his trunk.
Hermione moved to him, shrugging off Remus's cautious hand and slid right up to Sirius, pulling his stiff body into a hug from behind before sliding around, under his arm and resting her head on his chest, hugging him tightly and breathing him in, not saying anything, just holding on. His body slowly relaxed and he clung to her, dropping his head to bury it in her shoulder, hiding his face in her waist length hair as he cried.
Hermione heard Lily led in by Peter but didn't look up, she heard the bed springs move, Harry shifting positions or Lily sitting, she wasn't sure, she just held onto Sirius.
Later, Peter and Remus raided the kitchens and brought snacks and tea, or Peter did, Remus snuck into Hogsmeade and returned with firewhiskey, to add to the tea, and chocolate, his cure all, comfort food.
By this time Hermione was lying on Sirius's bed, the dark boy wrapped around her, like she was a lifeline, his head still buried in her hair.
Harry sat next to Lily on the other bed and James had his head in her lap while she ran her fingers through his hair, tears staining quiet paths down his cheeks in unrestrained grief. Peter was uncomfortable with the grief and hovered on his bed, eating. Remus got on the bed with Hermione and Sirius, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder but said nothing, following the twins lead. They had after all know more grief and understood this better than anyone, even him, he'd lost only one parent and that had been painful enough. None of them went to a single class that day and neither of the other two seventh year Griffindor boy's returned, opting to sleep in the common room and give them privacy.
They sat in silence for a while before Harry shook himself and made them all spiked tea. "What were they like?" Harry finally asked in a whisper.
"The best parents in the universe." Sirius mumbled from where his face remained tucked in the back of Hermione's neck.
"They are… were." James agreed in a choked voice. "I was their miracle kid. Mum always wanted a big family but couldn't ever seem to get pregnant. The one other time she did, before me, she miscarried."
"She accepted me into the family that very first Christmas. Then fifth year when I was actually disowned by my own crappy elitist blood obsessed freakshow family, she took me as her own son."
"You were her son first year." James contradicted, "She just gave herself an excuse to do you up your own room at our house and say it out loud once you were living with us."
"Your dad started calling me son."
"They were proud of you." James told him, "To have you as their kid." He forced a weak smile, "Not as proud as they were of me, I was first and all."
Sirius snorted out a watery laugh and finally lifted his head a little, "Please, I was the favorite."
"Not a chance." James teased back. "That's why I had the bigger room." Slowly they began to tell stories and Sirius loosened his grip on Hermione a little. They picked at food and drank all the tea and firewhiskey, eventually falling asleep. In the morning,
Hermione tried to slip from the bed but Sirius's arms automatically tightened and he woke, "Don't leave." He whispered pleadingly.
"Come with me." She whispered back. With a look to James, sleeping between Lily and Harry, Sirius gave a sad smile and nodded. They tried not to wake Remus, curled on the bottom of the enlarged bed they'd made of the boys two beds the night before and slipped out. Peter was asleep in his own bed and Frank and Adam were asleep on the couches. Quietly they made their way outside and Hermione led him to the lake to watch the last of the sunset.
"Are you always up this early?" Sirius yawned.
"I have trouble sleeping." She admitted, "So does Harry. He'll be out before long, he was awake when we left."
"What were your parents like?"
"Supportive and loving but absent. The truth is, Harry and I are as close as we are because we weren't together until we were eleven. Neither of us even knew we were magic. The people who raised me worked a lot and expected a lot from me. Even as a child everything had to be tidy and organized at home, routines properly kept, I didn't know until later that it was a bit of a cold place to grow up, emotionally I mean. Instead of hugs I got smiles and pats on the back for my achievements. They loved me, bought me books and took me to the museums and though they didn't understand magic they were supportive of me being a unique child. They died in a car crash though and Harry, he was raised by the opposite, they were cruel and hateful to him, my relatives didn't know I was magic but they knew I was special and encouraged it. His knew he was a wizard and despised him, called him a freak and never explained about magic. When we were finally with our true family, with each other, it was different." Hermione smiled thinking of the Weasley's. "They were loud and everything was chaos all the time, but everyone was warm and affectionate and loving." She bit back tears, "They were the best family in the universe."
"I'm sorry Mya."
"So am I." She told him, taking his hand, "I know the Potters loved you, you were their son, but Sirius…"
"What?"
"You're also a Black." He frowned and turned away from her to glare at the lake, he hadn't let go of her hand, his grip was tight with his tension so she lifted her free hand and rested it on his arm, "You are strong and good and brave and kind, even more so because you're a Black." He turned back to her, his glare shifting into confusion, "You're a…" Hermione frowned in thought as she tried to word it, "It's easier to be brave and strong when you're surrounded by brave and strong people who support you. Being brave and kind, being different from everyone around you takes a lot more. Be proud of who you are, where came from, because you came out of that darkness and hate, with light and love in your heart. It's the epitome of hope, bravery and strength. To do more than survive darkness but to overcome it and really live."
Sirius smiled "If a girl like you thinks nice things about me, they must be true." he told her and tucked her into his side as the sun rose completely above the edge of the lake.
Sirius and James both left after breakfast, the funeral would be the next morning. When they returned to class on Tuesday, students were all supportive but the boys were quick to shrug off their sympathy. Neither wanted to wallow in the grief and when they did, it was a private thing, shared only with each other though James would more often than not be found with a supportive Lily and by Christmas the pair were a couple.
Peter was the only one of their group to go home for the holidays but all the rest of Gryffindor had cleared out.
"Sev!" Hermione called out to the Slytherin boy jogging to catch up to him, though he'd stopped to wait for her.
"I already know." He told her with a glare.
"Know?"
"About Lily and James." He spat, turning on his heal to start walking again.
"That." Hermione sighed, "I'm sorry Sev."
"No you aren't."
"Not for them but for you, I know how you feel about her."
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does."
She reached out but he jerked away, "Is that all?"
"Huh? Oh, no." She shook her head; "I wasn't looking for you about that. Are you staying here for the holidays?"
"Where else would I go with no family or friends?"
"Lily and I are your friends."
"Are either of you inviting me home for the holiday?"
"We're both staying here. You know I only have Harry and Lily's parents are gone to meet her sister's fiance's family." He just glared at her, "Right, so ok, then will you help me brew a really difficult sort of experimental potion?"
"Sure." He shrugged. "Which one?"
"Wolfsbane."
He turned to glare at her, "You know what he is then?"
"Yes." She grinned, "So will you help me help him?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I hate them and they hate me."
"You don't hate Remus and he doesn't hate you, besides you're my friend and Lily's friend and they're my friends and Lily is dating James."
"So?"
"So wouldn't it be nice if we all were?"
"No."
"You don't hate Remus."
"So?"
"So, it's for him not James."
"Fine."
"Really."
"If you'll stop pestering me about it, yes."
"Great." She took his arm making him stop walking and leaned up on tiptoes to peck his cheek, "Thank you Sev. I knew I could count on you." Then she turned and hurried down the hall and away from the shocked boy who stood staring after her.