AN: This chapter has some development in the Sirius department since he's been neglected these past few chapters. WOOT

DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything!

Chapter Twenty-Two: Mine

Ever since Lily walked in on them in bed, she had decided to make Hermione's life a living hell. Cleverly masked comments about Hermione's virtue were made as often as any opportunity presented itself. Remus (after he got over his own mortification, and it was replaced with masculine pride) thought it was hilarious and often laughed much to the confusion of Sirius, James, and Peter, who didn't understand the meaning of any of the comments.

It took two months for the comments to die down, and that was mostly because of OWLs. Lily was a frenzied mess, but surprisingly, Hermione was calm.

What was the importance of OWLs in comparison to everything else she had to worry about?

It was a few weeks before exams when Hermione and Lily got stopped on their walk to the library one Saturday morning.

They were surrounded by Slytherins. Hermione pulled her wand from the waist of her skirt and gripped it at her side. Lily just froze up at her side. Hermione looked at the four standing around them. Her eyes paused for a moment when she met Regulus's masked grey ones before moving away quickly.

"What are you two ladies doing all on your own?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Nott. "That is none of your business." Nott bristled and Hermione said, "Now we'll be on our way."

Hermione went to walk past them, but she was stopped by a firm grip on her elbow. "Not so quickly, minx," hissed out the voice of none other than Yaxley. "You know what your boys did to me after our little encounter? I've been meaning to get you alone since then, but you are constantly flocked by your army of blood-traitors."

Hermione gave him no reaction, and he said, "Surely you haven't forgotten what happened?"

His hand left her elbow and reached for her waist, but Lily hit him with a stinging hex.

"Don't touch her! I'm a prefect! I'll take points!"

Yaxley growled and looked over at Snape which neither girl had noticed sulking against the wall until that moment.

"You hear that, Sev? Your little mudblood will take points!"

"She's not mine," Snape whispered.

"What was that, Sev? Didn't quite hear you."

Snape pushed off the wall and glided up to the group of people, "I said, she's not my-" Hermione prepared for Snape to make another grave mistake by calling Lily a mudblood again, but they were saved, by multiple definitions of the word, by the booming voice of Sirius.

"What's going on here?"

He was walking up to them in his usual stride. Once he was at their side he grabbed Lily's elbow and stared down at Yaxley dangerously.

"Yaxley."

"Black. How's your disinherited life treating you?"

"Quite well actually." Sirius's eyes landed on his brother, and he scowled. "How's mummy dearest, Reg? Has she started beating the living shit out of you yet?"

Regulus stepped forward dangerously, "Now, now, Sirius, we both know she reserved that just for you."

Sirius launched towards his brother, and Hermione jumped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Sirius, no!"

"Let go of me, kitten. I've got to teach this prick a lesson," he said lowly.

"No, Sirius. Let's just go."

"You hear that Sirius? Kitten, says to go," Regulus drawled.

Hermione glared at Regulus over her shoulder before turning back towards Sirius and latching onto the fabric of his shirt.

"Come on," she pleaded.

She could feel his chest expanding rapidly with his breaths through his shirt. Lily was standing closely behind him shifting nervously.

Sirius's eyes left Regulus's and landed on Snape's for a moment. He scowled and spat at the floor at his feet.

He turned his eyes on Hermione's desperate ones and carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'll escort you ladies."

Lily stepped up next to Hermione and wrapped her hand around her elbow.

Sirius's arm grew dangerously tight around her as they passed Yaxley who licked his lips and whispered, "Not over, Minx."

Hermione shivered and Sirius pulled her tighter.

Once they were out of earshot Lily said, "We need to tell, Dumbledore!"

"It'll make it worse. Make them more angry," Hermione said quietly. Her free hand went to her dragon pendant. If they went to the Headmaster that would guarantee another interaction between Hermione and them, and Hermione couldn't afford to draw anymore attention than she clearly already had. Sirius must've thought she was still shaken over Yaxley because he gently took her hand from her pendant and kissed her wrist as he'd been doing since that day they'd put up wards at Lily's house.

"They won't get to you, kitten. I promise."

Hermione stared up at him for a moment, but had to look away. His grey eyes were burning and so sure, but he had no idea.

"Severus… do you think he was about to call me... that slur again?" Lily had hesitated before saying the word that she still couldn't force herself to say.

Hermione's head snapped towards Lily and she was about to deny it when Sirius said, "Definitely. That greasy git. I wish I could get my hands on him."

Hermione elbowed him and looked at Lily. She looked near tears.

"Lils…"

"No. It's okay." She smiled up at them. "I'm okay…"

She pulled away from Hermione. "On second thought, I think I'll study in my room."

Hermione watched as Lily ran away before they could do anything. She didn't want her walking alone, so she was about to go after her when she saw Dorcas appear at the other end of the corridor. Hermione looked up at Sirius with a scowl on her face, "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true!" Sirius wouldn't look at her as he started walking towards the library again, but she could see something in his eyes that she didn't like. "No use lying to her."

When she didn't move his arm slipped from her shoulders. Her mind was whirring. That look meant something. She knew there was something in her memory that would tell her what was about to happen, but it was like it was behind a locked door. She tried to focus harder.

"Kitten?"

She didn't respond and instead started gnawing on her bottom lip in thought.

"You're making me nervous," she vaguely recognized Sirius turning around and walking back towards her. One of his hands landed on her cheek, and that's when it hit her.

The full moon was that night.

I wish I could get my hands on him.

She gasped and looked up at Sirius. His grey eyes were on fire with concern, and she got lost in them for a moment before shaking herself.

Her eyes watered. If Sirius let Snape sneak into the Shrieking Shack tonight as some type of revenge, Remus would be destroyed. She remembered the older Remus telling her one night in Grimmauld Place's library that it had taken him months to fully forgive Sirius.

She couldn't let this happen to Remus. She couldn't let this happen to Sirius.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

She couldn't come out and just ask him not to do it, he was too smart for that. He would get suspicious and ask questions. She just needed to make sure that Sirius didn't have any interactions with Snape.

She was going to have to play dirty even though she didn't like it. Her feelings were already so close to boiling over, that it wasn't difficult.

She let the tears fill her eyes before launching herself in Sirius's arms. Her fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt, and she pressed her face into his chest. His arms automatically went around her, and his nose went to her hair.

"You're scaring me, kitten."

Sirius took a deep breath and pulled her closer. Turning down that corridor and seeing Yaxley's hand reaching for her waist had been a terrifying moment for him. After Yaxley and the others had attacked her back in October, him and James had cornered them in Hogsmeade for some muggle retribution.

Now Yaxley wanted his own retribution in the form of hurting Hermione. Sirius wouldn't let that happen.

"Will you stay with me, Sirius?" She whispered against his chest. "I don't want to be alone today." Sirius thought about what she'd said. He'd had a plan regarding Snape. Hermione shifted and looked up at him with her red rimmed and watery eyes, and his train of thought stalled. He couldn't say no to her like this. He'd never be able to.

"Of course, Hermione." He wiped at her face with his thumbs before pulling her back against his chest. "Anything."

They ended up going to the Room of Requirement which Sirius found overly compelling, and he spent a few hours sitting in the middle of the room imagining things he needed and waiting for them to pop up.

Hermione meanwhile spread out in front of the fireplace to work and tried to keep an eye on Sirius the whole time.

A couple hours after they had the room make them lunch, Sirius sprawled on the sofa and thought about his plan.

It was fool proof really. Let Snivellus overhear him talking about the whomping willow, and then scare him a bit once he made it there. Snape was such a suspicious git, that there was no doubt in his mind he would come that very night to investigate.

"Hey Kitten I'm supposed to meet Jamie to discuss a very important prank." He sat up to gauge her reaction to his excuse for leaving, and he stopped breathing.

She was on her stomach with her cheek on one of her texts, and there was a golden hue from the fire surrounding her. She looked like an actual angel. Her hair had been in a neat braid down her back this morning, but now her curls were springing forth in their usual manner.

Her mouth was slightly open as she breathed deeply in sleep. Her skin was pink from the fire.

He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and watched as her eyelashes fluttered softly against the tops of her cheeks.

He dropped his own cheek against his fist and sighed.

"Merlin, kitten, what are you doing to me?"

She wrinkled her nose in her sleep rather adorably, and Sirius ran his hand through his hair.

"You wouldn't want me to do it. You'd say Snape isn't worth it. You'd say something bad would happen if Snape came tonight," he whispered.

These were the thoughts that had run through his mind for the past five hours.

"You said I was a good person."

You're a good person, Sirius Black.

Sirius had his head in his hands when Hermione's eyes opened blearily.

"You'd say that Remus would never forgive me."

Sirius groaned into his hands.

"And I am having a conversation with a sleeping girl. Madness."

Hermione was blinking up at him when she said faintly, "He would forgive you."

He lifted his head and just stared at her.

She blew a curl from her eyes and tucked one of her small hands under her cheek.

"He would forgive you because you're his best friend. He would forgive you because he's Remus."

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment.

Because he's Remus. Hermione's adoration for his best friend, though frustrating, made complete sense. He may be a werewolf twelve nights a year, but every other hour of the year he was Remus. Gentle, forgiving, kind Remus. Sirius knew himself well enough to admit that he wasn't exactly any of those things.

When he opened them again, she looked desperate.

"But that doesn't mean you should do it, Sirius."

"You don't know what I'm going to do," he said quietly.

Hermione gave him a calculating look, and he watched as her clever eyes ran over him a moment before narrowing.

"You react before you think, Sirius. You seek vengeance for people you care about. People you love." He could feel an itchy, heavy feeling take over his body. She looked so calm, laying there, as she revealed his deepest vulnerabilities. "Your actions have consequences, Sirius." He stood up and lay down on the ground next to her.

"And what exactly are my actions, kitten?"

She looked into his eyes when she whispered, "Tonight's the full moon. You're worried I'll say Snape isn't worth it, and you're worried that Remus will never forgive you." She took a deep breath and said, "I suspect you plan on somehow slipping to Snape about the Shrieking Shack."

When Sirius didn't say anything she reached out and grabbed one of his hands from where it had been resting on his chest. She kissed his wrist like he had been doing to her, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Vengeance," she muttered.

He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away and laced their fingers before returning them to his chest.

"How do you know so many things?" He asked under his breath.

She let out a single laugh before it turned into a sobbing hiccup. She wished she could live a regular life without knowing these things. Saving Snape was a sacrifice for her.

"Don't do it, Sirius. Please."

He pulled her by her hand until her cheek landed on his chest. His hand went to her curls as he soothed her hiccuping form. He could feel something dark and angry building up in him. How could she not understand why he wanted to do this?

"How can you stand up for him? After what he's done? What he's called Lily?"

She didn't want to save him. She'd wanted vengeance herself ever since she'd found out what had happened in 1993.

But she didn't want it at the cost of Remus's progress with his own self-hatred. Or her progress in convincing Sirius he was a good man.

"I know everything he has done, but this won't solve anything," she hissed.

Sirius's hand paused. He could hear the implications in her voice, and his anger was replaced with concern. "Has he done something I don't know about, Hermione?"

Hermione pulled away immediately and wiped at her eyes.

"No! Nothing."

Sirius could see her pulling away, both physically and emotionally.

He reached out and pulled her back down.

"I won't do it, okay?"

She returned to her previous spot, and he listened to her breathing slowly calm.

"Just go back to sleep, kitten. I know you haven't been sleeping lately. We'll stay here until it's time to meet Moony."

Sirius cast a cushioning charm on the ground and relished in the rare feeling of her in his arms.

Remus woke up from his much needed nap to an empty dorm and a strong desire to see Hermione.

She'd said something about studying with Lily.

He went and dug through James's trunk and pulled out the map.

He ignored the insults from the fellow Marauder's that were bleeding into the parchment and quickly said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

After a quick scan with no results, he realized that Hermione must be in the Room of Requirement. Lily and her had taken to studying there on the weekends because it was quieter and easier to focus without any distractions.

He made his way there as quickly as he could manage after putting the map back and asked simply for Hermione as he paced. When the door appeared he wasted no time in walking in, but he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.

Hermione wasn't alone.

"Sirius?" he asked angrily.

Sirius's head turned toward him slowly, and he held a finger to his lips. Remus stepped up and took a closer look at Hermione. Her face was red and blotchy, and she was breathing deeply from her mouth.

When Remus's eyes returned to Sirius he mouthed Snape, and Remus nodded. He quietly walked up to them and gently tucked a curl behind her ear.

"I'll take her, Sirius," he whispered. He looked up into Sirius's eyes one more time before adding dangerously, "She isn't yours to protect."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "She's all of ours to protect, Remus. You, Jamie, Me, and even Pate.

Remus didn't say anything as he carefully pulled Hermione into his arms before carrying her to the couch. She didn't wake as he sat sideways with his back pressed into the arm of the chair but snuggled in closer to his chest.

When Remus looked back at Sirius his eyes were that bright amber color.

"She's mine, Sirius."

Any amount of anger Sirius had faded away like a disappearing ghost.

"I know that, Moony."

Sirius stood and took one last look at Remus.

On his way out he whispered again, "I know that."

Sirius seriously considered following through with his plan for Snape once he'd exited the room, but then he kept hearing Hermione crying and saying please, and he found himself unable to do it.

He found himself marching all the way to the fifth year girls' dorm, and when he finally got there he was breathing heavily and filled with that itchy, vulnerable feeling.

"Marlene," he growled out.

She took one look at him and gave that sad understanding look that always made him sick to his stomach. She followed him to his dorm and didn't argue as he pulled her into his bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm using you like this," he whispered against her neck.

"I prefer to think of it as a mutually beneficial agreement."

After that full moon the rest of the school year passed quickly and immediately following OWLs they were finally heading home for the summer.

At the platform, Hermione met Lily's parents and then insisted Lily come visit at the beginning of July.

After that, Hermione was pulled along by Remus to meet his own parents. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles as they moved through the crowd.

"My parents… they aren't like the Potter's Hermione," he said into her ear. "They aren't… friendly."

Hermione squeezed his hand and said quietly, "I have had my fair share of unfriendly, Remus."

Remus smiled sadly down at her before stopping in his tracks and taking a deep breath. He pointed with his free hand towards a solemn looking couple, separated from the crowd.

"There they are."

Hermione smiled up at him reassuringly and started pulling him towards the two people he'd pointed out. She tried to ignore Remus's physical resistance all the way up until they paused right in front of the two nervous adults staring them down.

"Mum, Dad, this is Hermione."

Remus's dad looked unnerved as he stared down at Hermione. Hermione met his stare before smiling pleasantly.

She held out her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lupin." After a few silent moments and meeting Remus's pleading eyes he took Hermione's carefully and shook it quickly.

"Yes. Mutual."

Hermione turned towards the stoic woman and held her hand out again. "You as well, Mrs. Lupin."

"Please call me Hope, dear."

After she'd shaken both of their hands she tilted her head up and smiled happily up at the clearly relieved Remus.

"You've been staying at the Potter's due to unfortunate circumstances, I hear," Mr. Lupin said gruffly.

"Lyall!" Hope hissed. Remus's hand landed on Hermione's waist.

"No it's quite alright," Hermione said strongly. Her fingers wound into Remus's shirt over his ribs.

"What were these circumstances, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Father," Remus growled. Lyall didn't spare Remus a glance as he continued to stare down Hermione. She could see suspicion in his cold green eyes so different from his son's.

"Though you have overstepped in every way imaginable, I will tell you if it eases your suspicions," Hermione said dangerously. She had no respect for the man before her after all the stories she'd heard. She had given him the benefit of the doubt, and he had disappointed her.

"Hermione, you don't have to," Remus whispered close to her ear. Hermione's fingers tightened on his shirt.

"My parents were muggles. They're… gone," she said carefully. She hoped her implication was clear. Lyall Lupin worked for the ministry, and she knew there was no way the current political climate of the wizarding world had escaped his notice.

By the slightly disturbed look on his face she could see he understood.

"I hope your… curiosity is satisfied," she said solemnly.

"Hermione!" She heard James yell from across the platform. "Mum and Dad want to leave! Tilly prepared a feast!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Remus's father one more time before turning and smiling pleasantly at his silent mother.

"It was nice to meet you, Hope."

The woman smiled at her apologetically. Hermione could see the kindness in her eyes, and she imagined this was where Remus's gentle nature came from. She felt his hand lightly tugging her closer by her waist. She spun slowly in his arms and wrapped hers around his middle.

"You'll visit soon?" She whispered into his neck.

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I promise, love." He pulled away and looked at her seriously, "Can't leave you alone with Sirius for too long, I'm afraid."

"Kitten, hurry up and kiss Moony goodbye, I'm starved!"

Hermione laughed and said quietly, "Speak of the devil."

Remus kissed the corner of her mouth and rested his forehead against hers for a moment.

"I'll come after the first full moon."

"Remus, you told her?" His father hissed under his breath.

"She found out, father. You'll find she's quite clever," he said fondly.

"Hermione!" James yelled again.

Hermione kissed him one last time before pulling away.

"I love you, Remus," she said proudly as she stepped backwards away from him. He smiled brightly at her.

"I love you, Hermione."

Before Hermione could turn towards her own family someone wrapped their arms around her waist and threw her over their shoulder. She was thankful she'd changed out of her skirt into her muggle denims on the train. She squeaked and started hitting James's back. She could hear Remus's laugh as the distance between them quickly grew.

"Put me down you prat!"

"Hermione, you're going to see our precious Moony in less than two weeks!"

When he finally put her down, it was not gently at all and she ended up sprawled on the stone ground in front of an amused Charlus and Dorea.

"Hello, Hermione dear. How were your exams?"

"Fine," she said grumpily.

Charlus reached down and helped her to her feet. "Son, I am disappointed in your treatment of your sister."

"Oh, come on dad! We were about to witness her full on snog Moony! That is unacceptable!"

"I agree!" Sirius said gallantly before dropping to one knee in front of her. "Sir James and Sir Sirius only wish to defend the lady's honor!"

James also dropped to one knee and Hermione scoffed. "That vagrant besmirches your good name, milady!"

"You two took notes from the Prewett twins, I see," Hermione said in disdain.

"Ah! She speaks on the Prewett twins, good knight!" Sirius yelled. Hermione glanced around in embarrassment and saw Dorea doing the same. Charlus reached for Dorea's elbow and Hermione watched in betrayal as they made their way to the exit of the platform.

"Good men, those fellows," James said earnestly.

"Much better than that Remus hoodlum who seeks our innocent kitten's virtue!" Hermione flushed in distress and grabbed Sirius's elbow to yank him up.

"Okay that's quite enough! No talks of my virtue necessary."

Sirius smirked down at her and said, "Is that because there's no virtue to be mentioned? Didn't know Moony had it in him!"

James slapped his hands over his ears right as Hermione covered her cheeks with hers.

"Sirius, stop!" Hermione could feel the burn traveling down her exposed neck, and she reached down to pull James up as well to usher them out as quickly as possible and hopefully divert the conversation.

Sirius's eyes widened in shock as he watched her blush spread down her body, "You're not denying it?"

Hermione avoided his eyes and said firmly, "Let's just go."

James quickly ran after his parents with his hands still over his ears, and Sirius snapped his fingers.

"Bloody hell! All of Lily's comments make sense now!" Sirius laughed. "Evans was calling you a slag for turning our Moony into a man!"

Hermione turned around and hit him over the head.

"Don't tell James, you arse!"

Sirius was still laughing when he threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, kitten, kitten, kitten…"

Sirius smiled mischievously down at her scowling face.

"I'm going to hold this over you forever." Hermione scowled further as they got closer to the exit.

"Sirius, please don't."

"Sorry, love. You're going to have to do much more than beg."

A gust of wind blew her hair closer to his face, and he was hit with her scent. Cinnamon and evergreens. Just as it always was. He suspected in the deepest recesses of his mind that if he smelled Amortentia, it would be like pressing his nose into her soft curls.

Suddenly the humor in the situation wasn't clear anymore.

He pulled her closer right as they reached the wall.

"Okay. I won't tell, Jamie," he said quietly.

She smiled gratefully at him before disappearing into the wall.

He took a deep breath and made a decision.

He couldn't be as close to her anymore as long as she was Remus's.

AN: To be honest, I have had all of this written for a couple days now, but I've been sitting on it because the chapter feels incomplete. BUT problem is I am a BIG outliner and this is all I had outlined for this chapter and my brain wouldn't let me leak any from the next over so here we are. Sorry for that pointless explanation.

Thanks, as always, for the follows, favorites, and reviews! Hope you're enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying writing!