Hey guys... I'm back... sorry it took so long for me to update, but as many of you probably know Junior year is a bitch! I've had so many exams already, not to mention I have a lead in the school play and I'm a Rockette with an injured knee (and now I need surgery) so yeah I've been legitimately swamped... ugh! So here is the long awaited chapter. And I promise as soon as this play is done and the rest of the crap I will write much more frequently. Enjoy and please review!!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter Eleven

Crazy Little Game Called Love

/Recap/

"I was just joking, let's just get through dinner shall we?"

"Agreed."

/End Recap/

Hermione and Sirius made their way back to the main entrance of Hogwarts. Of course, as expected, it was obviously not a boring trip. Somehow amidst all the events taking place, Hermione ended up running smack into the center of the massive oak doors, and Sirius lay flat on his face, on the hard concrete steps behind her.

"So you think you're a Gryffindor eh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione was shocked that such a question would ever come out of his mouth. Then she realized just who she was talking to.

"I mean you claim to be from the future and all, but I mean how do we really know you aren't secretly out to kill us all? You could a Slytherin in disguise for all I know!"

"Sirius Black! I'm shocked! What- no, how on earth can you think such a thing?"

Sirius let out a small laugh. "Well it's completely legit. I mean I have no idea of the powers you people have in the future. For all I know, you four could just be using our lack of magical sophistication to your advantage."

Hermione let out a stifled laughter, "Sirius Black you fool. If you suspected me from the beginning, you sure have been sending me mixed messages, or are you just using my weakness to your advantage?"

Sirius had to think about this one for a minute before answering, "how do you know I wasn't? I'm not as stupid as you think Hermione."

"Oh yeah? Then what's that?" She pointed to the sky and as he turned around she went to pick up a handful of mud off the damp ground. When he went to ask her what she had been pointing at, it was a smack in the face for Sirius and mass giggles for his lady friend. His face was completely covered with muck and as he began to slop it off his face, Hermione went into hysterics.

"Oh you think that was funny do you Granger? Well I've got news for you... so is this!" He took his wand out of his robe and threw a hex in her direction, but due to his lack of vision he missed horribly. Hermione continued to laugh as Sirius tried with great effort to wipe his face clean, and get his sweet revenge.

"You know for the high and mighty Marauder you make yourself out to be, you seem a little weak."

"Oh you better run Granger! ARGH!" He looked like a swamp-thing, emerging from the depths of the murkiness surrounding the grey areas of the lake. Not to mention the grunting noises he was making could scare any normal human being. Hermione ran as fast as she could towards the entrance of the school. Sirius couldn't tell if she was screaming out of fright or pure amusement and thus putting further humiliation on his part.

He continued to run though, and through his squinting eyes, which were now burning copiously due to the dirt seeping in through his tear ducts, he could make out Hermione and the upcoming steps. He saw her run up the stone stairs and heard a gigantic thud as she claimed her safety at the front doors of the school. He kept running. It wasn't over for him; he would achieve victory. Although, to his misfortune and due to his lack of visual ability, he tripped and fell face flat on the ground, or in this case the stone steps.

Hermione turned around to find Sirius down, face down, on the steps in front of the entryway to Hogwarts. When she saw that he wasn't moving he quickly ran to his side. "Sirius! Are you alright? Sirius? Can you hear me? Sirius this is not funny anymore!" Sooner than she thought though, she saw a massive wad of mud flying her way. She was too slow, and soon her face was making a new acquaintance with filling from the earth.

As Sirius began to rise up from his position, he chuckled and said, 'Really? Because I thought the fun was just beginning."

Hermione wiped away the mud and said, "you're a right prick! Did you know that?"

"Hey, hasn't anyone told you not to mess with a Marauder?" This earned him a well deserved slap in the chest, with a muddy hand from Hermione. "Hey! Now you listen here missy! I'll have you know there'll be none of that!"

Hermione laughed, "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?"

"Oh you'll see." Sirius had that smirk on his face, which almost worked to Hermione's advantage, because she knew exactly what was about to happen. He reached for his pocket with such speed that it was almost impossible for Hermione to get there first.

By merely stretching her hand out and thinking the spell "accio wand," she was able to summon Sirius' wand before he could hex her.

"WHAT? You didn't even use your wand!"

"Ah, hasn't anyone ever told you not to mess with a future bookworm?"

"Touché," he laughed and reached fro his wand in her hand.

"Uh, uh, uh, not until I hear you say it."

"Say what?"

"What the score is," she smirked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Ugh, fine. Bookworm two, Marauder nil." He sighed in true disappointment. "Are you happy? Now can I have my wand back?"

"Only if you promise a truce.'

"Fine! Truce! Gods you're insufferable aren't you!"

"Thank you," she giggled, "there you go." She handed him his wand and they both pocketed them.

"Ready to go in?" Sirius asked.

The two pushed their way into the school. As they walked towards the Great Hall, Hermione pulled Sirius back by the arm.

"What?"

"Have you looked at yourself? You didn't think you could waltz into the Great Hall looking like that did you? And to think you were once Sirius Black, charmer of the ladies."

"Well technically I'm still a charmer of the ladies, I mean I charmed you didn't I?" He had that smirk on again, the one that made her go weak at the knees.

"Did I say that? Oh I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you with James." She giggled and began to back away as he began to close in.

"Oh really? Well if that's how you feel..." he began to walk away, but was once again stopped a hand grabbing his arm. "So did I charm you?"

"Shut up."

"Not until you kiss me."

"Eugh! No way! You're covered in mud!"

"So are you," he stated with a mocking tone.

Hermione pulled out her wand and tapped her head. The mud soon vanished and she smiled, 'Not anymore."

"You cheated."

"Bookworms never cheat."

After letting a disbelieving laugh out in her face, Sirius took his wand out and cleaned himself off as well. "Now will you kiss me?"

"Hmm... let me think..."

"Oh for God's sake woman, come here!" He pulled her closer to him with one arm and Hermione smiled her way into the kiss.

­

"Ah, what do we have here?"

"It looks like the perfect opportunity for revenge to me."

"Come on."

Hermione playfully pushed away and ran up about five steps before Sirius called after her, asking her where on earth she might be heading; the Great Hall was in the other direction.

"I'm going to my room to get changed."

"But you just cleaned the mud off! How much cleaner can you get?"

"I know, but I still feel all muddy. I can't eat feeling like I'm covered in dirt."

"Well then..." He moved in closer, "can I come with you?"

"Nope," and with that she continued running up the twenty or so steps.

"Well why not? Maybe I feel yucky too!"

"Sirius Black you know too well that that is a load of cock and bull. You only want to watch me change. Besides you can't get into the girls dorm."

"So you're saying if I could get into the girls tower, then you would let me come?"

"Well that all depends – do you know how to get into our dorm?"

"No."

"Then yes."

"Yes what?"

"The day you figure out how to get past Dumbledore's enchantment is the day that I let you come in."

"Well that's hardly fair! Wouldn't you let me up anyways?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Well fine. Maybe I won't let you in my room." He was obviously teasing her, and she would have retaliated much more harshly if it weren't for her catching his glitch.

"Doesn't matter to me, I've already been in your room. It's nothing to brag about. It's just a bunch of dirty boxers on the floor really. Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Ugh! Well what if I just want to change my clothes?"

Hermione walked down to where he was standing and grasped his face within her hands. "Oh dearest Sirius. When are you going to learn to read between the lines? We can't walk into the hall together. People will immediately suspect. I'm going upstairs to "change my clothes," and you will go into the Great Hall complaining about me. Now are there anymore questions?" When Sirius shook his head within her hands, she said, "Good." She pulled him in for one more kiss and pushed him in the direction of the Great Hall. "Now go, and play nice."

­

Sirius walked playfully into the Great Hall and sat next to his friends with a smile on his face.

"Oh no. What have you done?" A concerned Lily asked. She had obviously been released from the Hospital Wing early and was now sitting next to Ginny and across from a very giddy James Potter. Everyone could tell what a nuisance she thought Sirius to be, and she wasn't afraid to let any of it show.

"And where's Hermione?" And they all knew Ginny was on her way to becoming her lackey.

Sirius though about letting their secret slip, but knew Hermione would not be too happy. "Oh she's just cleaning up from our massive sex rage. You know, I just knocked the wind our of her is all." He then began to fill his plate as though had said nothing. James, and Remus burst into laughter whereas Harry, Ron, Lily and Ginny just sat there with their forks hanging out of their hands, and their jaws wide open. After maxing out his plate space, Sirius looked up at his friends. When he saw the looks upon the majority of their faces he let out a laugh, "oh come on! You don't honestly believe me do you?" When their faces didn't change he laughed hysterically, "My god! Who do you think I am? Malfoy? Jeeze, harsh! I don't know where she is, do you think I care?" Now acting completely disgusted at the fact that he could possibly be caught anywhere near Hermione, the rest of the group was getting the impression they thought they would originally get. Lily, however, thought this was a tiny bit harsh.

"You wouldn't care in the least?"

"Nope."

"Well. Sirius Black, I'm shocked, I'm almost proud! When was the last time you weren't completely obsessed with a girl's whereabouts?"

'Who's to say I'm not now?' "What do you care Evans? Why don't you pay attention to your own love life! Or is that still lacking?"

"Alright mate, calm down. No need to throw a fit."

"I'm sorry Prongs. I just don't know why people have to gang up on me all the time. Why don't we bash Mooney?"

"No thank you," Remus said with a smile.

They then got caught up in how easy it was to gang up on Sirius, and almost didn't realize when Hermione sat down at the table. If it weren't for Sirius' remark they wouldn't have noticed her at all.

"Well if it isn't the sex kitten herself. We were just wondering when you would be finished." He smirked in her direction and she instantly knew he was playing their little game.

"Sirius Black!" Lilly yelled in shock. "Hermione, don't pay any attention to him. He's been like this since he got here. By the way where were you? You never did tell us, you just came bursting in and started ranting about how you don't care about anyone but yourself."

"First of all, I never said anything about myself, I strictly said, I could care less about where Hermione was. And if you must know, I was taking a walk around the grounds."

"Oh." Lily said; she was somewhat disappointed that she wouldn't get the chance to yell at him again.

"And where have you been Hermione?" This time Ron asked, but he gave the impression that the only reason he really cared to know was because he saw her running after Sirius.

"Where was I?" Hermione repeated with a somewhat higher-pitched voice. Sirius could tell she was nervous, and of course he found it within himself to chuckle just a small ounce., 'Great. What do I say? I can't say I was taking a walk as well. They'll instantly know. Shit! Way to go Sirius.' "Um... well after I yelled at Sirius some more, and made him promise not to hit on anymore of my friends, I decided to check out the library. It hasn't changed much." She was able to act into it by stirring her soup with her spoon. She thought it made her look more natural.

Ron sighed with relief, and said, "Then again not a lot has if you're still hooked on that place." The conversation then picked up on the library's qualities as they pertained to Hermione. It was a miracle though, that somehow she barely engaged in the conversation at all. She did, however, spend most of her time trying to avoid eye contact with one Mr. Sirius Black, for he was quite enchanting. Unfortunately for her it was proving to be quite the challenge.

The seven of them engage in a heated discussion that involved insults on Hermione's part, jokes on Sirius', and commentary remarks on the rest of them. As Lily was yelling that going to the Library was for pure educational reasons only, and that the fact that the Marauders had been using it as their own brothel was completely and utterly inappropriate, Hermione let out a shrill shriek.

"My gods Granger, what's wrong now?" Sirius asked with a smirk. She knew exactly what had just happened, and she knew the foot that had been sliding up her leg had in fact belonged to Sirius, so she decided to play along with it.

"I don't know! Something slimy just ran up my leg! Then again it could've just been your leg." She let out a small giggle, and it only grew into laughter as she saw Sirius' smirk turn slowly into a grimacing scowl. The rest of the table, however, burst into hysterical horse-laughter.

"Now tell me this isn't ganging up on me!"

"Oh come on mate, it's just a bit of fun. You know all about that!" James said in between laughs. Eventually a smile broke out onto Sirius' face and he joined the laughing stocks of the table.

"Next time it happens Black, you're manhood is mine." Once again, Hermione's remark was the laughing stock of the table. This time however, Sirius decided to fight back.

"Oh really. Well Ms. Granger what makes you think it was me in the first place?" He raised his left eyebrow in a quizzical form which made Hermione think for a split second that maybe it wasn't him. It wasn't until he put his famous "Sirius Black" smirk on that she knew he was only playing along.

"You didn't hear me? Well let me refresh your memory. I said it was slimy."

"Slimy eh? Are you sure it wasn't leftovers from the little sex-capade you just engaged in?" By now the entire Great Hall was listening in, and the rest of the Gryffindors could tell that any second now one of the professors would barge in giving them all detention for using such language, but on the other hand they also knew that they were just as interested as to what Hermione would say next, that they stayed put. Sirius was just about tearing up at the amount of laughing he was now doing. He thought he was so good, and he was, however there was a front line, and as usual he had just crossed it. Hermione wasn't laughing in the least, and instead of giggling, she stood up, picked up her pumpkin juice and chucked it straight in his face.

"PRAT!" That was that. She stormed out of the room and left her friends sitting there in complete shock. No one had expected her to react like that. By now the entirety of the hall was in uproar. Students were already gossiping, some agreeing with the bookworm others with the Marauder; it was merely a question of whom they thought was more attractive, hence most of the boys stood up for Hermione, as they all thought no girl that pretty should receive such disrespect. Girls, on the other hand, stood by Sirius; how could any girl talk to the dear Sirius Black in such a tone?

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Lily was yelling again. Before she had the chance to say anything, however, Sirius had left the table. He had barged out of the hall just as quickly as Hermione.

Eventually Dumbledore had grown tired of the extensive noise throughout the Great Hall and he bellowed his infamous "SILENCE," and all was good again; or at least it was quiet again, there was never an end as to the gossip that went on in Hogwarts.

"Can you believe him?" Ginny asked in complete stupor.

"Yes." James and Remus said in unison.

"Pay no attention to the ponce, otherwise known as Sirius Black. His name is widely known for impulsive thinking, and he rarely considers other people's feelings, so I wouldn't pay any heed as to his insulting remarks, because there is no changing them." Remus spoke with such authority on the matter, after all he had been dealing with this for quite some time now, and James didn't deny any of the information, he merely nodded in self pity.

"Don't be so self-centered Potter. I see you wallowing there, thinking how disappointed you are to be his friend, but you tend to forget sometimes that you are no better. Half the time you are there right by his side saying the exact same things. The only respectable Marauder here is Remus, and I still don't understand why he chooses to befriend you two!" Lily was obviously not in the mood for Sirius or James for that matter to be gallivanting around, and tossing about her friend's feelings.

"Lily, when are you going to understand that I'm not trying to gain your pity?" It was now James' turn to yell. "Jesus! I'm just trying to be a good person. Marauder or no Marauder, what Sirius did wasn't right, he went too far this time, and I'm sorry if you think my feelings don't count but guess what, it's not really up to you, is it?" He saw the scared eyes of Lily staring back at him and he instantly regretted snapping at her. This was the exact opposite of what he was supposed to be doing. He wanted to charm her into his arms, not scare her away. "Lily, I'm sor-

"No don't apologize. I was being unreasonable. You're feelings count and I'm sorry, now if you'll please excuse me. I have to go and find Hermione." Everyone could tell she was completely disheveled. Lily and Hermione hadn't even had a proper conversation yet and she was already going to consolidate her? Something wasn't right. They didn't say it, but secretly, save for James, each and every one of those students was thinking the same thing; did Lily really have a thing for James?

James on the other hand was a complete mess. Burying his face in his hands, he softly swore under his breath. "James why don't you go after her." Harry had finally spoken up. After all he had to; these were his parents. This relationship was the deciding factor on his existence and the possible defeat of the darkest wizard of all times. James looked at Harry from his hands and saw his future son giving him a weak smile. He then realized that it was pretty much now or never; this was his last chance.

"You know what? I think I will. Save me some treacle tart will ya! I'm going to get me a girl!" He had that smirk on his face again, and the rest of them knew that everything was going well again. Of course it could all go downhill again if she turned him down, but that was something they were all crossing their fingers not to happen.

He was about to leave and Harry grabbed him by the arm. "Oh and James, you might want to consider what was said before. You know... cut back on the conceitedness and maybe pay attention to her."

"Don't worry Harry, from now on... it's all about her," and with one last genuine smile and twinkle of the eye, James Potter dashed out of the room in search of his one true love.

After he vanished from sight, the table once again burst into laughter. Somewhere amongst the giggles, Remus squeezed in, "it's about time he got his act together!"

The laughter soon died down and the rest of the clan that was left ate in happiness. It wasn't until Ron pointed out that they had no idea where Hermione and Sirius were that things began to heat up again.

"Well what do you mean you don't know where he went?" Ron was in an uproar. IN all the fuss, They had completely forgotten about the fact that it was Hermione and Sirius' argument that had started this whole melodrama.

"Calm down Ron. He could be anywhere. Odds are he's off in the Gryffindor tower wallowing in self pity, because we all know he doesn't get enough of that." Remus had an encouraging smile upon his face.

"I hope you're right. I just can't help thinking that he might actually have a thing for Hermione. I'll kill him if he goes anywhere near her again." The tone in his voice was enough to wipe the smile off of anyone.

"Nonsense Ron! He doesn't like Hermione." Ginny said with reassurance.

"He doesn't?" Harry asked. "Wow, I thought after their little act that it was just a bunch of flirting. Well until Hermione ran out of the room in tears that is."

"Really?" Ginny couldn't believe it.

"Well..." Remus chimed in with that tone of voice that said, "it's a possibility."

"I don't know," Ginny still wasn't persuaded.

"Think about Gin. They walked in at about the same time save for a few minutes, but you know Hermione, she's smart, of course they aren't going to walk in together. And besides remember her story for why she was late. She had no idea what to say! And when she screamed, because of the "slimy creature," I'll bet you five galleons it was Sirius playing footsies with her. There's no way! Then when he pulled the sex comment she ran from the room, because coming from him it would be ultimately insulting. It all fits!" Ron was on a roll; he was determined to sniff Sirius out, and so far he was doing a pretty good job.

Ginny gave Ron a perplexed look, it was one of those sister-to-brother looks that said, 'don't mess with me, I'm smarter than you, and I won't stand to be made a fool!' but when Ron stared back, she realized he might just have a point this time. "Well..."

"Ginny don't you see it? They're together... or at least they were."

Well there you have it... I wonder what'll happen next... will the groups suspicion lead to more controversy or will it be alls well that ends well? Review to find out! Kisses Dominique (hpobsessor)