Yay! I updated again. Quite an important chapter this one so I hope you enjoy it :)


Chapter Twenty Eight

The Circle is Complete

The next day, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, Ron, Harry, Pansy, Luna and Severus set out on the long trek back to the diamond cave.

"I don't see why we can't Apperate! We know what it looks like now!" Ron whined.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because, Ronald, the Diamond Dragon is an old and mystical creature. Apperating into his territory without invitation or warning is rude."

"He didn't seem to mind when we walked in last time." Ron sulked, pouting slightly.

"He was probably watching us. At least this time he knows we're not a threat." Hermione pointed out.

Ron huffed and conceded defeat. "I still don't see why Snape has to come with us."

Hermione rolled her eyes again, as she was prone to do when talking to Ron, and strode on ahead to walk with her lovers.

"He's got a point, Mione. Why did you bring Snape?" Sirius asked bitterly.

"Because he's one of the most powerful members of the Order. The only ones more powerful are myself and Harry. We need him, like it or not." Hermione told him.

Sirius pouted like Ron. Hermione sighed. Were all men like big babies? Sulking when they got upset.

Remus chuckled and took Hermione's hand in his own. Hermione sighed and leant against him as they walked.

Trailing far behind the group was Harry and Pansy. They were silently watching Ron and Luna whispering to each other. Luna said something to Ron and he chuckled, kissing her on the forehead.

Pansy smiled softly. "She loves him so much."

Harry grinned. "Yeah. I hope we're like that when we're married."

Pansy looked up at him in surprise. "You think we're going to get married?"

Harry looked down at her. "Of course."

Pansy grinned wickedly. "What if I say no?"
Harry wrapped his arms around Pansy's waist and nuzzled her neck as they stopped for a moment. "I think I could persuade you."

"Is that right, Mister Potter?" Pansy purred.

"Hmm, I think I could." Harry smirked.

"Ugh."

The couple sprang apart to see Severus scowling at them with his arms crossed.

"If you excuse me. I do not wish to see your fornication." Severus drawled.

Pansy blushed bright red and buried her head in Harry's chest that shook with mortified giggles.

Severus raised an eyebrow and the couple hurried on to catch up with Ron and Luna.

"What's wrong with Pansy?" Ron asked seeing Pansy's red face.

"Maybe the Rackspurts have gotten to her." Luna suggested.

Harry snorted, looking back over his shoulder at Severus. "Yeah, the Rackspurts got to her."
Hermione was walking up ahead with her hands in Remus and Sirius' respectively. They were gently swinging their arms.

"It's getting dark." Remus mused, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, we ought to stop. There might be wolves." Sirius said, shuddering in fear.

Remus looked at him.

"Other wolves." Sirius stated in a 'duh' tone.

Hermione giggled and looked up at the sky. "Yeah, it's getting dark. We ought to stop for the night."

"There's a lake just five metres ahead. We could pitch the tent there for tonight." Remus suggested studying the map.

Hermione nodded, knowing the others were beginning to get tired and her feet hurt.

When at last Remus announced they were in a perfect place to pitch the tent, Sirius, Harry and Ron cheered with delight.

Hermione grinned at their childishness and pointed her wand at the tent. "Assemble." She ordered it.

At once, the tent jumped to life. It dug it's pegs into the ground and the Skelton of the tent pulled the canvas over it. As the canvas covered it, the canvas rippled and all of the shrunken items inside, such as beds, the stove and other things, grew.

When it assembled, there were two double bedrooms and two twin rooms, a full kitchen, a bathroom and a living room complete with a roaring fire and bookshelves.

Sirius pouted and looked at Hermione when he saw the bedrooms. "What if we wanted some fun?"

Hermione snorted. "I can convert it easily for you and Remus if you wish."

Remus' nose crinkled and Sirius waggled his eyebrows. Remus shot his best friend a glare. "No. I love you, just not like that Padfoot."

Hermione giggled. "Anyway, we're not in that stage of our relationship just yet."

Sirius stepped closer and put his hands on her hips. "We could be."
He yelped as a stinging hex shocked his hands. He rubbed them and gave Hermione a reproachful glare. "Meanie."

"Not getting any. Just go to sleep, Padfoot. We have a long walk in the morning." Hermione scolded him lightly.

Sirius sulked and slumped into one of the twin rooms, not before he stole a kiss though.

Remus rolled his eyes and gently kissed Hermione. "See you in the morning."

"Sleep well." Hermione whispered.

Remus gave a small smile. "I would say the same, but…"

Hermione chuckled. "Yeah. Night."

"Night."

Harry, Pansy, Luna and Ron claimed a double room each, both couples giving the gentle Gryffindor a hug as they passed her. They felt too odd to wish her a goodnight. After all, she no longer slept.

Severus was the last to enter the tent. He merely nodded at Hermione before claiming the last room as his own.

Hermione sighed and walked into the living room, grabbing her book and settling by the fire. It was going to be another long night.

The clock on the mantle piece above the fire chimed midnight and Hermione only glanced up from her book to perform a silencing charm on it. Just because she couldn't sleep didn't mean the blasted thing had to wake up the others.

She stretched and rubbed her back absently. Sitting in the chair for so long had caused a pain to settle itself at the base of her spine. Grumbling, she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and walked into the kitchen. A nice hot cup of tea would warm her up.

Hermione jumped as she noticed a dark figure hunched over a brewing pot of tea.

"Severus." She said, nodding to the man. "Is there enough for another cup?"

Severus' dark eyes flicked to the pot and he nodded. "Should be."

With a wave of his wand, a black cup appeared and the pot magically began to pour out the tea.

Hermione waved her own wand and added the necessary condiments. She gave a sigh of comfort as the warmth shot through her. "That's much better."

She absently pushed the blanket off of her shoulders and adjusted the strap of the tank top she was wearing. She didn't notice Severus' eyes darken and grow colder.

She looked up to notice the older man was sitting rigidly in his chair, his face paler than normal.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Hermione asked softly, concern lighting her eyes.

"Where…did you get that?" Severus hissed.

Hermione frowned and looked down at her arm. The marks sat there, glaringly obvious with her lack of a long sleeved top.

She had forgone the elbow length sleeved tops for her tank top she used as a relaxing top. She had used it as a sleeping top, but that was out of the question now.

"They just appeared one day. Professor Dumbledore suggested that they represent my lovers." Hermione explained.

Severus reached down and pulled back his long sleeved night top. There, above his dark mark, was a birthmark. It was a crown.

Hermione's eyes widened. "You're my third lover?"

"Looks like it. I'll bet if you got the mutt and Remus here you would find they too have birthmarks like that." Severus mused.

Hermione nodded curtly and swept from the room.

Severus raised an eyebrow. He had only meant figuratively, obviously Hermione hadn't caught that.

Two bleary eyed men stumbled into the kitchen with Hermione behind them.

"Hermione? What's going on?" Sirius whined, rubbing his eyes like a small child.

Remus noticed Severus' still stiff posture and the curious expression Hermione had on her face.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Severus is my third lover. He has a birthmark like my marks." Hermione explained.

"Your marks?" Remus frowned. He didn't recall Hermione mentioning any marks.

Hermione turned and showed the two other men her marks. They breathed in a sharp breath.

Sirius' hand drifted to his chest, above his heart, and Remus' own hand drifted towards his right shoulder blade.y

"You have birthmarks too?" Severus asked, his own hand gently stroking his birthmark.

Sirius pulled his night shirt to one side to reveal a grim birthmark. "You bet."

Remus nodded. "On my shoulder."

Hermione sunk into her seat and put her head into her hands. "Well, I guess the circle is complete."
"It appears so." Severus remarked.


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