Hermione knotted her hair up in a tight bun, preparing to leave for Lily's latest appointment. They were taking a slightly larger group than normal; since the loss of Madeline, everyone felt on edge.

Remus slid behind her, running a comforting hand down her back. Leaning down, he kissed her neck and wrapped his arms securely around her waist. She tried to relax against him, but her body maintained its tension.

"Stay close, I don't have a good feeling about this," Hermione mumbled to Lily.

She closed her eyes when Remus squeezed her hip. If only she could pause time and save things the way they were. But no, she would miss Harry and Ron too much, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, all the Weasley's in fact, and Remus and Sirius…the other Remus and Sirius. She couldn't help but wonder what that Remus would say when she got back.

"Oi! Hermione!" James called from the doorway. "I said, 'Are you ready?'"

"What? Er…yes, sorry," she answered, shaking herself to focus her attention to her present circumstances.

"Then let's go." He gestured grandly at the open door.

"Ladies first." She waved him towards the door.

"Oh, ha-ha. Aren't you clever?" James rolled his eyes, but proceeded through the door, ushering his wife through first.

Remus shook his head and urged Hermione out. "Be careful or you'll make too tempting a target."

"Target for what?"

"A prank. Something devious and embarrassing."

"You wouldn't help, would you?"

She laughed at the innocent look he plastered on.

"Never!" he said. "However, if I were involved, it might keep things from being too embarrassing."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm just putting it out there," he defended.

"I'll trust you to use your best judgment," she relented, reaching their small group.

"Everyone ready? On three, two, one," James instructed, apparating at the same time as the others.

Hermione reappeared in the middle of their group beside Lily and Peter. She involuntarily cried out as a jinx shot towards her face. Ducking, she drug Lily down with her and surveyed the scene around them.

James, Peter, and Remus were battling a Death Eater apiece, while Sirius took on two.

"Get her out of here!" James shouted, stunning his opponent and immediately drawing one away from Sirius. Peter yelped and collapsed face-down next to her.

"Protego!" Hermione cried as a light came at her from the Death Eater who had knocked out Peter.

Before Hermione or Lily could retaliate, Remus had hit him square in the chest, propelling him into a nearby wall, where his head made contact with a sickening crack.

Lily shot a tripping jinx at her husband's opponent, knocking him to the ground. James quickly took advantage and stunned him at virtually the same time Remus paralyzed his opposition. Sirius bound the last conscious Death Eater with ropes conjured from his wand.

"Lily!" James cried, lunging towards her. "Are you alright? Did you get hit?"

"No. No, I'm fine." She smoothed his hair down and hugged him. "We're safe."

"This is getting too risky. How did he know this time?" James asked of no one in particular.

"It wasn't Carrow; he wasn't with them," Hermione corrected his assumption. "Besides, they weren't aiming for Lily."

"The traitor must have tipped them off," Sirius commented as he revived Peter.

"That would be my guess as well," Remus agreed. "You lot go ahead to the appointment, I'll escort these ones to Azkaban. Hermione, be careful."

"It's not me I'm worried about."

The rest of the trip was uneventful, aside from Sirius' attempts to entertain her as they waited. He kept transfiguring his and Peter's appearances, forcefully reminding her of Tonks, who wasn't honestly someone she wanted to think about. She wondered if Tonks knew about Remus and hers past together; perhaps that was why she had grown rather cold to Hermione in the last few months before she had traveled back.

"There you are!" Remus called, rushing forward to hug her tightly after arriving back at Headquarters. "It's been so long, I was beginning to worry. What took so long?"

"James and his thousands of questions," Lily answered.

"Oi! They were important," he defended.

"Some of them," she conceded, heading straight for the food on the counter. "Mmm…I'm so hungry," she moaned around a mouthful.

"I got something for you to put in your mouth," James whispered in her ear, making her face turn beet red.

Hermione nearly choked on the grape she had just popped into her mouth as she tried to pretend she hadn't overheard.

"You alright, Love?" Remus asked rubbing a large circle on her back.

She cleared her throat. "Fine."

Remus leaned close to her ear, his lips brushing softly against the shell when he spoke. "If he knows you heard, it will only encourage him."

She swallowed thickly, only managing a nod of acknowledgement.

"Are you coming?" he asked half way to the table, confused why she was still standing there, gripping the counter's edge.

"What? Yes, coming," she yelped.

"Or very close to it." Sirius laughed at his own joke, James joining him.

"Get bent," she muttered, sitting by her boyfriend.

"Touchy," Sirius whispered, sitting on her other side.

"Lack of touchy?" James quipped, glancing at Remus.

"Shove off," she grumbled, trying to ignore them and simultaneously hoping that Remus did and did not catch what they were talking about.

"Mmm…sensitive." Sirius subtly leered at her.

"Look at her like that again, Padfoot, and you'll be eating my fist."

James laughed loudly.

"What's the matter, Mooney? Is it that time of the month already? Are you feeling a little PMS-OBD?"

Hermione's brow furrowed, trying to work out the acronym.

"Pre-Moon, Son-of-a-Bitch Disease," Lily provided, rolling her eyes.

"Ah," said Hermione.

Remus frowned at them all. "Not for another week, thank you. I know what you were insinuating and you will not be assisting her with that."

"Sounds like Mooney's the sensitive one," James said. "Maybe he's not getting enough touchy either."

Remus scoffed even though his cheeks were a light pink. "What? Do you want to help me out, Prongs?"

"Ha! Sorry, but you're not my type."

"Good. Now, can we forget this nonsense and eat?"

"Got my vote," Lily mumbled around a mouth full of food.

"Well, that's a surprise," Sirius said sarcastically.

Lily turned narrowed eyes on him, glaring with large chipmunk cheeks.

"Er…excuse me," said Sirius. "I should owl Dumbledore."

"At least he knows what's good for him," James sighed, receiving a grunt and nod from his wife.

A/N: Thanks to Clover Bay for beta'ing!

Ugh! This one was a pain the bum that fought me every step of the way. Glad it's over with.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to review! Hey! Lady! I said review, that means you too. *watches closely with narrowed eyes*