A/N. This chapter title is inspired by a line I once read once, I think it was Mark Millar's Civil War. I just loved it, and I thought it fit for this chapter.

Also, a Guest Reviewer asked about how Hermione will be obliterating her original timeline and thus, herself. The Guest thinks that Hermione will basically die once she's completed her mission, but that isn't the way time travel works (at least, the way I imagine time travel). Hermione has been transplanted from the original timeline into this one - so much that she BELONGS in the current timeline because she's been there for so long.

And according to certain beliefs of how timelines and dimensions work - the timeline that she left is actually still in existence somewhere in the universe, but does not involve her - it cannot be erased or destroyed. As long as there is not the same person in 2 different "dimensions" she's pretty much safe.

Like a body part transplant, Hermione is now sewn into the world she is in.

Those are the workings of the Time-Turner to my understanding :)

...~oOo~...

Chapter Fifty: Sleep Well, Judas

Arden Lutum writhed on the floor in the middle of the circle of cloaked witches and wizards. The young Death Eater had not taken Hermione's advice to flee to Australia and instead took his chances in the mountains. He had made a stupid decision and his trail was easily picked up on.

Voldemort loved mind games. He'd known where Lutum was for more than a month, but was leaving him be and luring him into a false sense of security.

It was a full moon. Hermione wanted nothing more than to be with Remus, but she'd been called on by the Dark Lord, leaving no room for opposition. So there she was, standing beside her master as she watched an eighteen-year-old, misguided boy be tortured at the hands of a man he once followed blindly.

Bellatrix cackled the loudest, but many laughs passed through the Death Eaters. Hermione watched on in the way Lucius did - a calm, resonating expression.

"You made a grave mistake, Lutum," the Dark lord intoned. "Betrayal is a coward's play and a traitor means less to me than dust. And the assumption you could hide makes you a fool as well. So what punishment, Lutum, do you think a cowardly, traitorous fool deserves?"

Arden Lutum could not answer through the pain wracking through him. All he did was shaking and whimper and sometimes scream.

"ANSWER!" the Dark Lord commanded harshly.

"You do as your master says!" a different Death Eater hissed.

"I can handle this, Crouch," the Dark lord soothed the venomous voice. "But I appreciate the enthusiasm."

Barty Crouch Jr., scowling, flicked out his tongue in a snake-like manner, but said nothing else.

"Answer me," the Dark Lord said once more, his cold voice rolling over everyone in the circle like a wave. "What do you deserve?"

Forcing through his trembling lips and agony, Arden Lutum let out a single raspy word that took every iota of effort he had left in his body: "Death."

The Dark Lord gave a grim, spine-shivering smile and broke the curse. Arden's body stopped writhing but still shivered in aftershock and fear.

"You heard his answer," the Dark Lord said to Hermione. "The right to carry out the punishment is all yours, my dear. I am sure you've been eager for...recompense."

Hermione gave him a small, grateful and slow smile. She drew out her wand, poised it at Arden Lutum and forced herself to mean it as she uttered the words, "Avada Kedavra."

...~oOo~...

The next day he Order gathered at Grimauld Place, but the only Marauders present were James, Sirius, and Hermione. Remus was still recovering from his transformation at his own home; Hermione planned to visit him after the meeting. Lily had refused to be absent from the meeting, but did not have a babysitter, so sitting among the rest of them was Lily Potter with a bundled up baby in her arms, rocking back and forth to keep Harry asleep.

Hermione couldn't help but be impressed with Lily. She was one fierce woman. She reminded her of the famous, fire-haired pirate Grace O'Malley who, according to legend, gave birth to her child below desk in the middle of her ship being attacked. The moment her child was out of her, she went above desk with pistols blazing, sword brandished. She war warrior mom.

At the meeting, Dumbledore discussed the possibility of a leak among them, which set Hermione way off. She'd taken care of Pettigrew - who could possibly be a spy now? None of the Order members were Death Eaters - not including her and Snape. It made Hermione's skin crawl that there could be another mole.

The meeting adjourned and everyone shuffled out, feeling more paranoid and suspicious than ever.

Before the Prewett twins could leave though, Hermione got their attention. They gave their matching, charming smiles.

"'Ello, poppet," Gideon said in his jolly tone despite the dreary meeting.

"How are you, love?" Fabian added. "See you and Lupin finally pulled your heads out of your arses."

"Yes, congratulations," Gideon agreed.

"Thank you," Hermione said. "I...actually wanted to ask you a favor...Gideon, actually."

"I am at your service, madam," Gideon declared with a regal bow.

"You work at Gringotts, right?" Hermione asked.

"Indeed, I do."

"Well, in the near future I'm going to need to retrieve something very important from one of the vaults," Hermione hedged, giving him a significant look.

Slowly, Gideon nodded, obviously getting the message. "How near?"

Hermione shrugged. "Actually, that is entirely up to you."

Gideon took a deep breath. "This is for Dumbledore, I reckon?"

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't," Hermione confirmed.

"Then I'll get back to you on that. I'll need to...do some ground work. What you're asking is pretty close to impossible but I think I could cook something up."

Fabian said, "If either of you need any help, just let me know."

Gideon clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Sure thing, mate."

"Thank you, Fabian," Hermione said. "You're both amazing friends."

Gideon nodded. "We are, aren't we?"

Fabian grinned. "The absolute best."

...

And hour or two later, Hermione was holding Harry in the parlor. James and Sirius were picking out which bottle of whiskey they wanted to open and Lily was lying on the couch, her eyes drifting shut before abruptly opening time and time again.

While she rocked the little green-eyed boy, Hermione looked up at the large family portrait above the fireplace and grimaced. It was of Walburga sitting in a chair, Orion standing somberly behind her, Sirius standing next to him looked thoroughly annoyed, and Hermione and Remus on either side of their mother. It was the portrait Walburga had down on their last Christmas together.

"You'll have to take that down," Lily's drowsy voice said, seeing Hermione gazing at it with loathing.

Hermione nodded. "We should get a portrait done of all of us. Sirius, Remus, James, Harry, you and me."

LIly smiled, her eyes slowly falling shut again. "That would be great. Maybe we'll do it this Christmas."

"There's my little monster!" Sirius said, coming in with a tumbler in one hand, the other outstretched towards Hermione.

"I hope you aren't talking about me," Hermione said with a teasing scowl.

" 'Course not! I'm talking about my godson! Hand him over," Sirius laughed, scooping Harry out of Hermione's arm with his free hand.

"You be careful, Sirius," Lily said from the couch. "He's only days old, you fool!"

"I've got him, Lils," Sirius assured her, swaying back and forth and humming a song that sounded half like a lullaby and half like an Irish drinking song. He looked absolutely entranced by the little boy, his grey eyes twinkling. "Little Harry... One day, you'll be just like your Uncle Sirius, I can tell now."

Hermione groaned as she took her place on the couch beside Lily. "Let's hope not," Hermione said. "One of you is enough."

"Then perhaps he'll be like James," Sirius mused.

Now it was Lily's turn to groan. "For the love of all that's good and holy, let that not be the case. I, for one, hope he turns out like me."

"Loud, annoying, controlling, and angry?" Sirius quipped.

"No! Smart, considerate, and rule-obeying." Lily stood up and reached out for her son. "It's way past his dinnertime. Is there a room I could use, Hermione?"

"Any of the rooms upstairs are fine," Hermione told her.

Lily smiled gratefully and took Harry away.

James walked in a few moments after that and asked, "Where's my wife and child?"

"Your son right now is, essentially, milking your wife like a cow."

"Good Merlin, Sirius!" Hermione gasped. "Couldn't you have just said breast-feeding?"

Sirius shrugged and took a swig from his tumbler.

James chuckled and took a seat in the arm chair as Sirius took lily's vacated spot.

"So, this whole leak thing," James said, his tone darkening a bit. "Any suspicions?"

Hermione shrugged. "I have no clue, honestly. The Dark Lord has said nothing about getting information from anyone in the Order except for me, and I only tell him what Dumbledore tells me to."

"Think Snivellus could be...'going beyond the call of duty'?" James inquired with a dark grimace.

Hermione shook her head. "I know every piece of information exchanged between Severus, the Dark Lord, and all of the Death Eaters. There is no leak."

"Unless..." Sirius said slowly, turning his glass in his hands. "Unless the leak isn't one of the Death Eaters."

Something about that sentence make Hermione's hackles shoot up.

"What do you mean, mate?" James asked.

Sirius shrugged. "I mean, Voldemort doesn't only have Death Eaters. He has all sorts of dark creatures; giants, ogres, vampires..."

"Werewolves," Hermione breathed, finishing the sentence. She immediately started feeling sick and backing away from Sirius. "What are you implying?"

"I'm implying," Sirius said seriously, "that Voldemort is promising the werewolves a better life and better laws once he's in control. And that I've heard you and Remus fighting about his becoming a spy - he's a little eager to join them, don't you think?"

"Sirius, you can't be -"

"I think Remus could be the leak," Sirius growled, his eyes dimming to a dull, slat silver.

Hermione shot up from her seat and hissed, "How dare you..."

"Hermione, don't you see?"

"I see plenty, Sirius Black!" Hermione yelled. "I see your reasoning! But the only traitor among the Marauders right now is you!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Your opinion is clouded by your feelings for him -"

"I have never seen so clearly is my entire life!" Hermione snapped. "After everything Remus has done for you - tolerated you, loved you, been a brother to you, saved your life - you turn around and do this to him? What has he done to earn your resentment, Sirius? Even after you RISKED HIS LIFE AND NEARLY EXPOSED HIM he forgave you! HE FORGAVE YOU EVERYTHING AND THIS IS WHAT YOU REPAY HIM WITH? SUSPICIONS AND ACCUSATIONS?! ARE YOU FORGETTING WHO REMUS IS? HE COULDN'T HURT A FLY, LET ALONE HIS OWN BROTHERS!"

James was rubbing his eyes, looking miserable at this turn of events. Sirius looked furious.

Sirius stood from his seat and shouted back, "You don't know what he's capable of, Hermione! Do you even know him as well as we do?! You only know the side of Remus that you've loved since you were a child!"

"Your judgment is the one that's screwed!" Hermione hollered. "Now get out of my sight, you traitor! Or better yet - GET OUT OF MY HOUSE AND COME BACK WHEN YOU SEE SENSE."

...~oOo~...

When everyone cleared out of Grimauld Place, Sirius going home with the Potters, Hermione paced her parlor with a very tall glass of whiskey. She thought that she would cry eventually, but she didn't. Her chest just boiled with that anger and she ached to punch something.

She couldn't go to see Remus like this. She was too rash, too angry and if she wasn't careful she could let it out on the wrong person.

Her Floo flared and Hermione gave a jump. Emerging from the fireplace was a very wary-looking Remus.

Hermione hated how Remus felt after a full moon. She knew how much pain he was in, how much his joints aches, and how his muscles burned. It was a monumental effort just to get out of bed and walk.

"Remus!" Hermione said, concerned immediately. "What are you doing here?"

"James Floo'd me and said you've lost your mind," Remus rasped with a small grin. "Of course, I had to see it for myself."

"Oh, Remus, you should be home resting," Hermione said, hurrying over and feeling his forehead and pulse. "You're ill. Lie down."

"Hermione, I'm fine," he said, reaching out and touching her face gently. "James told me what happened with Sirius."

The rage growled from inside her.

"Hermione, he's your brother," Remus said.

"And you're the love of my life," she answered, his voice cracking on the last work.

"He's family."

"So are you," Hermione said, firmer. "And James. Lily and Harry. All of you are my family."

Remus's thumb smoothed across her furrowed forehead. "Take a deep breath."

"Why aren't you angry?"

"Because he made a very rational, logical accusation," Remus said. "Even if he's wrong, he put together a few pieces of evidence and actually used inductive reasoning."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "You think he was being logical?! He was the opposite of logical - he was being an idiot!"

Remus just smirked and pulled Hermione into a hug. Hermione's arms curled around his chest, careful not to squeeze too hard.

"You and Sirius are like two sticks of dynamite with incredibly short fuses." Reus stroked her back and said, "You know you have to forgive him, right?"

"He didn't say sorry though!"

"And do you really think he'll apologize?"

"...No."

"Exactly. So, let him feel the way he does, but don't be so hard on him," Remus advised. "Sirius can't live without you... Literally, him living alone would be a disaster. He'd drink himself into oblivion and drown in his filthy socks."

Hermione shook her head against his chest. "I don't want him living here right now. He really made me angry."

"My stubborn girl," Remus chuckled, and then he suddenly tensed.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, pulling back to look up in his eyes.

"Nothing," he said through gritted teeth. He looked in pain. "Just...my back is still bothering me. It...spasms every so often after the full moon."

Hermione yanked her arms away frantically and said, "Do you need anything? Can I brew you a potion? Give you a massage?"

With a smirk, Remus said, "I wouldn't mind the last option, to be honest."

Hermione smiled back. "A massage it is."

...

Hermione collapsed onto Remus's chest, panting. She pressed her forehead to his and the breath falling in and out of their mouths rapidly mingled between their lips, sweat rolling down Hermione's back and onto his legs like little salt water rivers over her skin.

One of Remus's hands wrapped around to her back, the other gripped her hips still. His fingers followed her spine until he found the scars he was looking for. The three parallel lines, all healed over but still bumpy and apparent.

Hermione kissed him hard, a silent forgiveness for those scars he'd graced her with all those years ago.

"I wonder if..." Hermione said, breathing heavily. "If...this...will ever...you know..."

"If the sex will ever stop being sensational?" Remus finished for her with a breathy laugh. "I've been wondering the same thing. I'm hoping not."

Hermione chuckled and nodded. "I agree." She paused and looked at him tentatively. "How do you feel? I know...that you were sore from the full moon and I was supposed to be giving you a massage and then it just got out of control and -"

"Shh," Remus soothed. "Hermione, calm down. I am fine. As a matter of fact, I feel a lot better. Your body is better than morphine."

Hermione blushed and he kissed her nose before turning them over completely so that he was over top of her. His gaze raked down her bare body and the wolf inside him howled for a chance to take her body into his mouth. He kissed the vulnerable flesh of her throat and nuzzled her ear before kissing the spot behind it.

Hermione let out a small half-whine half-purr.

"I love you," Remus said. "So much."

"I love you too," Hermione whispered. In that moment, Hermione ached for a hug, so she threw her arms around him and pulled closed to him, their chests pressed together.

Closing his eyes, Remus returned her embrace and kissed hair.

...~oOo~...

Challenge: 1. Who do you think the new leak is? 2. Do you think Hermione will ever let Sirius back into her house? 3. Favorite part and line? 4. How do you think Fabian and Gideon are going to help Hermione get into Gringotts?

~ So Long And Thanks For All The Fish ~