Chapter 21: Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any part, the characters and the HP universe all still belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Last I checked. * sighs in disappointment *

A/N: Hey again! Thanks for sticking with me. I'm glad so many of you liked the last chapter. I hope you'll find this one just as enjoyable.

Did you break but never mend?
Did it hurt so much you thought it was the end?
Lose your heart but don't know when
And no one cares, there's no one there

But did you see the flares in the sky?

Were you blinded by the light?
Did you feel the smoke in your eyes?
Did you see the sparks filled with hope?
You are not alone
'Cause someone's out there, sending out flares

-The Script

Fourth Year Boys' Dormitory, Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts, Scotland, March 26th 1975

"Remus, please!" her voice came out in a desperate sob as she pulled the soft red jumper from his hands.

"Let go Hermione. I'm leaving, and that's that." His tone was firm, cold, as though he were someone else entirely. He prised the garment from between her fingers before folding it neatly and placing it in his trunk.

"You can't! We need you here. I need you."

"What you need is for me to get as far away from you as possible. Before I hurt you anymore than I already have." For the first time since leaving the Great Hall, she saw the emotion behind his eyes. It was the same expression she'd seen in his eyes that day in the park when he was a child. It was a sad, desperate ache, a lonely wistful longing for a happiness he thought he could never have for himself. It almost broke Hermione right there where she stood.

"It's a scratch. They're only bruises," she insisted, her voice growing high and panicked. "I can take it. They don't even hurt!"

Remus smiled slightly at that. He reached out his hand to tug on one of her wild curls, looking amused as he watched it spring back into place. "You're a terrible liar Hermione."

She smiled back through tears, not quite managing to stop one from spilling over onto her cheek.

"Okay, maybe it hurts a little bit. But it's nothing I can't handle. I'm stronger than you think you know."

He smoothed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tear. "Not possible. You're the strongest person I know."

She felt a spark of hope ignite in her chest at that. "So you'll stay?"

The smile dropped from his face immediately, quickly followed by his hand which snapped back to his side.

"No." The spark was extinguished in an instant, and Hermione's strength along with it. She dropped down onto the bed behind her, letting her head fall into her hands. She couldn't believe that Remus was leaving. It wasn't supposed to be like this! She had come back to fix things and yet somehow every choice she made only seemed to make things worse. Suddenly, she found herself feeling slightly more sympathetic towards Dumbledore. Slightly.

Remus crouched down beside her, grabbing her two hands in his. "You might be alright with being hurt. You might be strong enough to take it. The thing is, I'm not."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "No. I never should have come here in the first place. I love you, and I'm sorry that I ever put you in any kind of danger." She wasn't sure which of them had started crying first, all she knew was that when his lips met hers, all she could taste was salt. Their kissing was frantic, messy and rough. She clung to his shirt desperately, begging him not to go. He buried his hands in her hair, trying to get lost in her one final time.

Neither were sure how long had passed by the time they found themselves a tangle of limbs on James' bed, Remus' tie askew and her hair thoroughly mussed. It must have been a while, Hermione deduced as she noticed the darkening sky outside the dormitory window.

She buried her head in his chest, taking in the scent of him.

"Please don't go." Her voice was quiet, barely louder than a whisper as it rang out through the dormitory.

He tightened his hold on her slightly, eyes fluttering closed as though the words were physically painful. "I don't want to."

"Then don't." she sat up suddenly, her voice louder now. "Honestly Remus, this is ridiculous. You don't want to go. I don't want you to go. So just fucking stay."

He pulled himself up to perch on the edge of the bed, his expression conflicted. "Staying would be selfish."

"No." she snapped, angry now. "Leaving would be selfish. Yes we got hurt. So fucking what? We've all been hurt before and we'll get hurt again. And you know why? Because we love you Remus John Lupin." She stood up, impassioned.

"Love hurts sometimes. Do you know how many times James has broken his arm playing Quidditch?"

Remus frowned. "That's complete-"

"Five!"

"Five?" his expression seemed to fall somewhere between horrified and impressed.

"Five." Hermione nodded. "And that's just his arm. And look at Sev. Do you know how many chemical burns he's had from mucking about with his potions? Too many to count. And yet, James still plays Quidditch, and Sev is still working on ways to improve his Draught of the Living Death. And you know why? Because they love it. Every painful moment of it is worth it to them. Just like we love you. Just like you're worth it to us."

Wordlessly, Remus crossed the room and headed towards his trunk. Hermione's heart sank. It hadn't worked. He still wanted to leave. She bowed her head, defeated.

"Hermione?"

She raised her head to find a beaming Remus starting straight at her, trunk cradled in both hands.

"You're worth it to me too." She laughed as he tipped the trunk on its side, emptying its contents all over the dormitory floor. Elated, she ran across the room at full speed into his arm, kissing every part of his face she could reach as he spun her around in a circle.

Right then and there, Hermione decided that she didn't care if people thought she'd been with the entire Hogwarts population. As long as she had Remus, she knew she'd be alright.

Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts, Scotland, March 26th 1975

Peter squirmed excitedly at the sound of Snape's anguished pleas. This entire affair had worked out far better than he ever could have hoped. Although he was still fuzzy on the details, his cleverly planted rumours had somehow resulted in Lupin's withdrawal from the school. He couldn't believe his luck!

He was almost vibrating with malicious glee as he heard the telltale sounds of sniffling from his place at the door. She was crying. Who was the pathetic one now? He congratulated himself on a plan well executed as the room fell silent. Was this what power felt like? He wondered. To take a few words, whispered into the ears of the right people, and turn them into devastation for the ones who'd wronged him. He thought it must be. It was a new sensation for Peter, a boy who'd felt weak for his entire life, and he found that it suited him.

He knew that he would never be the most handsome, the most popular, not like Black or Potter, but maybe he could be the most powerful. Something stirred deep within him at the thought. It was a hunger, an absolute need unlike anything he'd ever felt before. For the first time, perhaps ever, Peter felt strong. He had a purpose. He wanted to be a major player, a king maker, the one behind the scenes pulling all the strings.

He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the pair on the other side of the door start talking. Not until he heard something unexpected. Was she... laughing?

She was. And now Lupin was too. He reeled back in shock. How could they be laughing? How could they be happy? He pressed his ear firmly against the door, scowling as he heard Lupin's earnest promise not to leave the school.

No! Peter was enraged. All his previous joy vanished in an instant. What was it with these people? Why would they never just stay down?

He stormed away angrily, so caught up in his ire that he failed to notice as he brushed past an extremely peeved, very disillusioned Severus Snape.

Hogwarts Express, Scotland, June 20th 1975

Amelia heaved a sigh as she sank down into her chair in the very full compartment. For the first time, she felt sad to be heading home for the holidays. Not that she wasn't excited to see her parents of course, and she was excited to attend her big brother Edgar's wedding later that summer. No, Amelia was mostly just sad to be leaving her friends behind, She'd never had any friends to miss before, nor had she wanted them. She'd spent the better part of her time at Hogwarts fully immersed in her studies, and she'd liked it that way. She hadn't known how wonderful it would be to actually have friends. Especially friends like the Marauders. Although she supposed that she was a marauder now too. Hermione had even started helping her find her Animagus form. Privately, she was hoping for some sort of winged form. She imagined how useful it would be for getting out of tight spots. She was sure that she would find herself in lots of them once she became an Auror.

Despite her earlier apprehension, the marauders had turned out to be a rather brilliant group of young people. Of course, they were every bit as boisterous as she'd feared, but what they lacked in restraint they more than made up for in fierce friendship.

Once she'd been accepted into the fold, it was like becoming part of a family. Hermione fussed over her, chastising her and bringing her snacks in the library when she'd been so lost in homework she'd forgotten to eat. Remus and Lily made wonderful study partners, always having some obscure reference to hand. Sirius and James made her laugh, and James had even punched Kyle Henley in the face for calling her a bitch once. Severus and Regulus were all snark and wit, but she could see how sweet they each were in their own way. Cepheus and Pandora were always kind to her, the former being the one to come and find her when she'd found out that Grandma Bones had passed away in May. He had put an arm around her shoulder and held her while she cried. He whispered words of comfort in her ear an she just knew that he understood.

She was distracted by a giant ball of fur as it landed on her lap. "Hello, Aslan. How are you today?" The cat purred contentedly as she scratched him behind the ears, as if to tell her that he was very well, thank you.

"So, it's just me the little demon has a problem with then?" Severus drawled, scowling at the offending animal.

"Perhaps it's the fond nicknames?" Amelia quipped, highly amused by the pair's long-time rivalry.

He snorted, "Please. That thing has had it out for me since the day we brought it home."

"He, not it Severus." Hermione snapped. "And don't change the subject."

Clearly, Amelia had missed something.

"I'm doing no such thing. I've already told you that I have no idea how Pettigrew ended up on that Quidditch hoop. I was studying in the library with Reg."

"Bollocks!" Hermione exclaimed, startling a previously snoring James from his sleep.

"Whose bollocks?" he asked sleepily.

"No-one, sorry James, go back to sleep" she said gently. The other boy nodded, letting his eyes drift shut once more.

Much more softly this time, she continued. "I don't believe you. We both know that Reggie would lie if you asked him to."

Sev shrugged, unconcerned. "True. But what possible reason could I have to bother with a little weasel like him?"

Hermione paused, brow furrowed in thought as Remus looked on, observing the scene with amusement.

"I don't know," she conceded, "but you've had it out for him for months. First there was the thing with the itching powder-"

Amelia stifled a grin at the memory. Somehow, all of Peter's clothes had been infused with some sort of concentrated itching solution. Nothing the teachers had tried had managed to neutralise it, and he'd sported an unsightly red rash for over a week.

"I was cleared of any involvement in that" Severus protested.

Hermione continued as though he'd never spoken.

"- and then there was the week were he tripped down the stairs four times."

"He's not exactly graceful is he?" Sev asked, raising one eyebrow sceptically.

"And the singing?"

"I was helping Slughorn in the dungeons"

"The hair?"

"I was with you in Hogsmeade!" he scoffed. "Honestly, Hermione."

He rolled his eyes in exasperation, but Amelia could see the victorious glint in his eyes.

Hermione slumped, defeated. "Look, Sev, I have no love lost for Pettigrew. You know that."

Severus nodded his head in acknowledge as she continued. "It's just that these things can escalate. There's always some sort of unforeseen consequence, and I don't want you getting into any trouble."

His face softened slightly at this. "If I were to have done anything, know that it was well deserved."

Remus flashed him a grin of approval at this. He didn't much care for Peter himself.

"And I suppose, if I were responsible, I could be convinced to tone down my efforts slightly."

Hermione laughed airily. "Thanks, Sev."

He nodded again before grabbing his notebook from the bag at his feet.

"Although, that's just me. I can't speak to whoever the person is who has it our for poor Peter."

Amelia joined in on the laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. Yes, it was definitely good to have friends.

A/N: And so concludes year 4! Please let me know what you all thought. There may be a nit of a time jump in the next chapter, just to get things moving along.

Thanks so much for reading,

Til next time,

SJ