Rambles – So, I'd like you all to know... I finally changed the error in this story about 'mom' 'ma' 'soeur' It has been corrected after more then a dozen reviews that told me of it... grins I always said I'd fix that the day I fixed the 'Alicia' 'Alice' mistake... and that date is Feb. 16/08...

Time Again

Lady Starlight so kiss my ass

Chapter Twelve.

The next morning Hermione awoke before any of her dorm mates. It wasn't that unusual, though Lily was usually close competition. Hermione showered and got ready for school before gathering her things for the morning and climbed her way down into the common room. It was still frightfully early and none of the other students were awake, so she settled in front of one of the fires and pulled out her latest murder mystery.

They had become an addiction to her over the past two years. While her life contained one death after another she had found solace in the fiction, in the worlds where the bad guys were always caught and the good guys lived happily ever after. Unless there was a sequel.

Hermione really hoped Voldemort didn't have a trilogy, because the sequel was more then enough.

The slamming of the portrait caught her attention and Hermione looked up to see Remus rushing in, heading for the dorms. "Now, why, I wonder," she asked in order to snag his attention. Remus turned around and blushed when he saw her. "Would you need to spend the night outside your dorm?"

Remus coughed, the blush still staining his cheeks. "We – ah… we were working in the Heads' Common Room and…" he seemed at loss for words and Hermione giggled, shaking her head.

"Never mind, Remus. I'm just harassing you." She flashed him a smile as he slid into the chair beside her.

"Sorry… it's, well, it was James' idea," Remus admitted.

"I see. I take it you left Sirius in the dorm?"

Remus looked down at his shoes, his cheeks flushing pink again. "He thought… well, see…"

Hermione put a halt to his nervous words as she smiled at him. "I understand, you know? Throw Sirius into the lion's den. See how he survives."

"What?" Remus raised his head, looking alarmed. "No, it's just, we though he needed to deal with the whole Harry thing. Like, either, well -" Remus glanced down again. "I'm sure you can understand what James was getting at."

"Oh, that's ringing lots of loud bells," Hermione agreed. They smiled at each other before glancing away.

Remus was finally the first to speak again. "Hermione, Sirius and Harry… where you're from, are they…" But he trails off, almost embarrassed to even be thinking of asking that question.

"No," Hermione answered, the question not needing to be finished. "They're not. They love each other, but it's the same way he loves you or me." Remus smiled slightly. "Their relationship has always been very close, but it usually revolves around 'Don't you dare get yourself killed, you little shit-head. I am so not cleaning up your mess this time.' And 'Oh, please, we both know that if I get into any trouble, you'll be running to the rescue trying to play white knight. Then you'll get yourself killed and I'll have to bring you back from the dead so that I can yell at you and kill you myself.' They're protective, but they've got reason to be."

"Does Harry get into a lot of trouble?" Remus asked and Hermione shook her head, smiling at him.

"You're fishing."

"I can't help it. It's fascinating. You have to admit that. If you were in my place, you'd be the first to admit that you'd be fishing for information."

"Of course, I'd just be more subtle about how I went fishing for it."

"Sometimes the direct approach works better," Remus insisted and Hermione cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Oh, and when would that be?"

"When I want a straight answer and am really not interested in lies and bullshit excuses."

Hermione froze, her eyes widening. Oh, this really wasn't good. She picked up her books, ready to make a hasty exit. But the question came too fast. "Why don't you want us to tell Peter?"

Oh, fuck. And Remus, teenager or Professor, could sense a lie a mile away.

Hermione turned and stared at him. She really had no other option. Her hands clenched her backpack and the amber eyes never left her. Lies built up inside her, cover story after cover story. And she knew he'd see right though them. He was asking for her honesty here. And she really couldn't give it, not completely.

"He's weak," she finally replied. "He's always been weak, and he always will be weak."

Remus stared at her, as if sensing that there was more to that story. Instead he nodded, and in the back of his eyes she saw that tiny bit of pain that he felt having received the news. And she hurt for making him hurt.

"At least that's honest." He replied though they both knew that there was a part of him that knew it wasn't the full story. "Thank you." Remus stared at her again, his head tilted and questing. He turned around, once again heading up to the boys' dorm.

"Remus?" Hermione asked, stopping him. He turned around, knowledge in his amber eyes.

"I won't risk your existence, Hermione. But there are already too many lies floating around." He quirked his lips, but the smile never reached his eyes. "A little insight never hurt anybody."

Hermione closed her eyes as she thought of the rest of that particular saying. But a lot can kill you.

Remus walked up to his dorm slowly. Hermione might not have realized it, but she had told him more than she had intended. More then she probably realized she had said.

He wanted to turn back, to wrap his arms around her and wipe away her pain. But that couldn't be. They couldn't be, no matter what his fantasies turned towards. In the long run he couldn't have her any more then Sirius and Harry could have each other.

Though from all appearances it looked like they really didn't mind.

"God damn it! Padfoot! Harry! Get off each other!" Remus growled as he spied the two of them making out on the window seat that Harry was sitting on.

The two black-haired young men moved apart and glanced at Remus. The werewolf growled and glared at them darkly. "Some of us really don't want that mental image, boys."

"Sowwy, Moony," they both pouted childishly.

"We won't do it again," Sirius even went as far as to plead. And it was the faux-innocence on his face rather then the words that caused Remus to snort in disbelief.

"The day I believe that is the day you've been celibate for fifteen years," Remus snorted as he grabbed his school clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Harry was chuckling, his head thrown back and eyes lit with amusement. "He's got a point there; the innocence act doesn't work for you, Siri."

Sirius fluttered his eyelashes as Harry laughed. "It doesn't suit you, Sirius."

"I'm sure I can convince you," Sirius said as he pulled one of Harry's belt loops to tug the boy closer, "that there is a lot that suits me."

"Oh, I'm sure there is, but it's too early in the morning to witness it." Both males paused as they turned to stare at James. And Sirius stepped away from Harry.

James passed him an apologetic look as he walked into the bathroom and Harry fringed a shrug in his direction. Sirius piled his school things into his bag, not looking at Harry. Both were already showered and ready for class. Harry dropped onto his own bed, pulling out his warn copy of Quidditch Through the Ages.

Sirius paused in his movements and glanced behind him. The young man had his feet stretched out, one leg over the other, and his back leaning up against the wall. He looked calm, relaxed even. It was only because he was staring that Sirius noticed the shift in Harry's stance. The hidden awareness became obvious as the boy's eyes glanced up over the top of the book.

"I'm sorry," Sirius finally said. Harry watched him for a moment longer before sighing.

"I want to say don't worry about it. That it doesn't matter. But the thing is…"

"It does," Sirius concluded and Harry nodded.

"Yeah, it does."

"It's just that…" Sirius hesitated and Harry sighed.

"How about you figure it out before you go trying to explain it to me. Point is, Sirius, I'd probably agree. And besides," Harry smirked. "Making out in front of James? So not on my list of things-to-do."

Sirius smiled at him, one of those grins that can make the first years faint and the older students drool with lust. Fuck if he wasn't gorgeous.

The moment was ruined when Remus burst out of the bathroom, staring at Harry. "Did Hermione cut her hair?" he asked and the young Wizard nearly fell off his bed laughing. Harry clutched his sides, eyes bright with humor.

"Do I even want to know why you were thinking of my sister in the shower?" Harry asked before he quite literally fell off his bed from laughter.

Remus scowled at him, before turning to glare at Sirius, red staining his cheeks. "What have you done to him, Padfoot?"

"Only good things, my dear wolf, only good things."

Remus flushed even more, silenced Harry with a curse (though it didn't wipe the obviously-felt hilarity off his face) and collected his schoolbooks. James strolled out of the bathroom. He cocked an eye brow at his silently laughing son, his smirking best friend, and his annoyed (and embarrassed) werewolf. "I don't think I want to know."

"You really don't," Sirius agreed and Remus glared at him. "It's true, and you might as well take the spell off Harry."

Remus turned to Harry with a glare. "Are you going to stop laughing?" He demanded and Harry nodded rapidly. Remus muttered the counter while still glaring at Harry. A strange combination of a laugh and a snicker escaped the younger boy and he placed his hand over his own mouth to smother it. Remus glared at him again before shaking his head.

Sirius watched his friends with light eyes before frowning. "Was Wormy getting ready in the Heads' Room?" he asked and James flicked a frown over the three others.

"I think so. If he didn't follow us up, he must be."

Harry got to his feet, smiling between the faces until he caught Remus' eyes. And saw the distress hidden in them. A frown flittered over his own face before his attention was snagged by the ever-persistent James. The young version of Harry's father ran his fingers through the short spikes and snickered.

"I like the hair, but don't you think it's kind of pointless? It's all going to grow back within the week."

"That would be why I cast a growth stunting spell on it. Trust me, Jamie, I know how the Potter hair works." Surprise flickered through James' eyes as he contemplated that idea.

"Huh, growth stunting. I wonder why I've never thought of that."

"Considering everything else you've tried?" Sirius asked rhetorically, more to have something distract him from the obvious family conversation that was happening.

"Ahh, shut up, Paddy," James whined and led the four males down into the Common Room.

Lily and Hermione were sitting in front of the fire, the redhead was talking. "I do like it. I think it suits you."

"Thank you, I wasn't all too sure at first, but it's growing on me."

Her long curls had been cut to just below her shoulders and the shorter length was framed around her face, making her hair look less curly. The males walked up and James studied the brunette, a frown on his face.

"I wouldn't have noticed," he said and Harry snickered, earning a glare from Remus. Hermione and Lily glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

"That would be because you're male," the redhead claimed and James pouted at her. "Oh, please, you wouldn't notice if I cut off my hair and died it green."

"Now, that I would notice, my Love," James said as he smoothly slid his arms around her. "Because contrary to popular belief, my favorite color is green, not red."

Harry snickered, a smirk on his face. Lily glanced at him, a smile spreading over her face. "Oh! I love the short hair!"

A giggle escaped Harry and Remus smacked him upside the head. The barely restrained laughter bust out and the hero leant against Sirius in the pretense of keeping himself standing.

"Do I want to know?" Lily and Hermione muttered in unison and Harry shook his head, still laughing.

"Oh, shut up, you bloody…" Remus trailed off, glancing from Sirius to Harry and then to Hermione. They said they were Animagi, but they had never said what they were.

Harry cast a wicked grin at Remus before smothering his laughter and linking his arms through Hermione's. "You were right, ma soeur." (my sister)

"Of course I was. The male gender will never notice when a female changes her hair at first glance. Unless it's pointed out to them."

The common room was bursting with life and the group headed to the Great Hall as the Marauders heatedly denied Hermione's accusations.

… TBC …

Reviews – Thank you so much everyone!

Luv ya'll

Lady Starlight :D