A/N: Thanks again to my wonderful beta, ohnobetty. If you haven't checked her out, I highly suggest her story, Albus & The Wolf.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't make money from this fic.
October 29, 1977 Hogsmeade, Scotland - The Three Broomsticks
Hermione watched as Sirius brought her a second pint butterbeer, leaving behind James, who was trying desperately to persuade Madame Rosmerta to sell him a shot of firewhiskey. Sirius slid into their booth, handing Hermione her pint and shaking his head at James.
"He'll never learn, will he?" Remus asked from his spot on the other side of Hermione.
"Takes a lot to get through that thick skull of his, I've found." Lily said, chuckling. Peter sat on one side of her, the other side reserved for James. "Anyway, I'm glad Dumbledore decided that you're allowed to come to Hogsmeade this year, Hermione. It wasn't any fun shopping with the boys last year."
"Thank goodness for aurors. But I thought that Mary and Emmaline came with you a few times last year, didn't they?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of her butterbeer.
"Yes, but for some reason," She said, looking over to James attempting to flirt his way to some firewhiskey, "they aren't very fond of James." Hermione giggled.
"He definitely takes some getting used to." She said. "How are your classes?"
"Dreadful." Lily said, "Except Charms, of course."
"Except Charms?" Sirius asked. "Have you been in the same Charms class I have? It may all be revisions, but I couldn't do most of what Flitwick said last year."
"Maybe if you stopped staring at Hermione and scribbling her name in your notebook-" Remus said, and Hermione had to duck to avoid the smack that she knew was headed for him.
"Sirius, I know about your notebook." Hermione rolled her eyes. "How many times have I edited your essays in that thing?"
"Yeah- but-" He was blushing. He crossed his arms and looked away, and James picked that moment to return to his seat.
"Who broke Pads?" He sighed, looking around the table.
"Me." Hermione said, "Again. He really should come with an instruction manual, you know."
"Good luck with that one." Sirius said, "Not even I know how I work sometimes."
"You know," Lily said, "I always wondered where you four got those silly nicknames. When do I get to hear that story?"
James and Sirius shared a look, and then they both looked to Remus. He sighed, nodding.
"Tonight. But not here." He said, and Hermione knew just as well as the boys where they would be going.
That Night, Room of Requirement
"Okay." Lily said, and Hermione could see she was trying to remain calm. "So Remus is a-"
"A werewolf, yes." James said, calmly. He was holding her hand and talking softly, trying not to startle her. Remus sat a bit away from her, just in case her reaction was bad. She stood, slowly. James let her go, but Sirius and Hermione kept an eye on her as she walked to Remus.
"Remus?" She said. He looked up at her, and she slapped him across the face. Sirius started to get up but Remus held up a hand to stop him. "That was for lying to me. I've felt so awful for your poor mother the last seven years. I should have been worrying about you instead." she said, hugging him.
"Women." Sirius said to James, and he just shrugged.
"I'm sorry for lying to you, Lils." Remus said, "But it was necessary. Dumbledore forbade me to speak of it, and even if he hadn't, I don't think it would go over well if my 'furry little problem' was public knowledge."
"I understand." She said, returning to her seat.
"So you don't- hate me?" Remus asked, with a wince.
"Why would I hate you for something you can't control?" Lily asked. Remus grinned at that.
"You know, I either have the most accepting friends in the world." He grinned, looking around at them. "Or the stupidest."
"Both is always an option, Moony. Never forget both." Sirius chuckled.
"So that's where Moony comes from. What about the others?" Lily asked. James, Sirius, and Peter stood up, walking away from the group of chairs to change into their animagi forms.
"When they finally worked out what I was, they decided they wanted to be with me on the nights of the full moon. Obviously, they couldn't be with me in human form- but as animals-"
"So you became animagi." Lily said, looking over the stag, dog, and rat before her. Hermione stood, walking over to the three.
"Peter transforms into Wormtail, a rat." Hermione said, picking up her small friend and putting him up on a chair so Lily could see him better. "Sirius is Padfoot, a dog. And James is a stag, Prongs." she said, reaching down and scratching Padfoot behind the ears.
"You told Hermione before you told me?" Lily asked, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the stag. Prongs, seeing how upset she was, immediately transformed back into James, and returned to Lily.
"Hey, now, we didn't tell that sneaky witch anything." He said. The other boys returned to their human forms, as well. Sirius shook himself, much like Padfoot would, and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist.
"I'm still not entirely sure how she puzzled it out, myself." He said, looking her over.
"You decided to change in the gardens where anyone looking out of the window in the library could see, it really wasn't that hard to figure out, all things considered." Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Sirius shrugged.
"So now you know, Lils. And by the way, we'd appreciate this not going any further than us." Sirius said.
"Turns out, being an unregistered animagus is sort of illegal. Who knew?" James smirked.
"And to think, Dumbledore made you Head Boy." Lily said, shaking her head. "Speaking of, we have rounds. Come on."
"How have you managed these rounds for this long, Moony?" James said, standing after Lily.
"Just got used to it, I suppose." Remus shrugged with a grin.
"I still can't believe I've been walking past a secret room for years." Lily said, looking around the room.
"Lily, let me just tell you, I know this place like the back of my hand. People who snog in broom closets aren't half as creative as me." James said, waggling her eyebrows.
"It's true." Sirius said, "I've told him all the good places to take a girl to snog. He's rather lacking in that area, if I recall." Sirius ducked a pillow James threw at him with a laugh.
"Well, perhaps after our rounds, you'll just have to show me?" Lily said, giving James a look before opening the door and leaving the room.
"You'd better go after her mate, I'd take her at her word on that." Sirius chuckled when James blushed a bit.
"See you," he muttered to his friends before hurrying after Lily, closing the door behind him.
"Is it just me, or does it seem like those two were made for each other?" Hermione asked, sitting down on the couch, Sirius plopping down next to her.
"I'd agree, Hermione." Remus chuckled. "I'm rather surprised she's taken to him so well."
"I've been wondering how long it'll be until James proposes, at this point." Sirius chuckled.
"I don't think that will happen for a while," Remus said, frowning. "James is reckless, but I don't think he'd jump into something like that. I'd say maybe this time next year."
"He's a romantic. I wouldn't be surprised if he popped the question on Valentine's Day." Sirius said.
"Ten galleons says he asks her just after we graduate." Hermione said. Sirius, Peter, and Remus all looked at Hermione like she'd sprouted wings.
"Did- did you just make a bet?" Sirius asked.
"Of course I did." Hermione said. "If James and Remus can bet on our relationship, I'll be damned if I won't bet on James and Lily's." she said with a smirk.
"You're on. Ten galleons, it is, but I stand by my reasoning." Sirius said.
"I think we've had a bad influence on her, Padfoot." Peter said.
"She's my girl, of course we have." He said, smiling at Hermione. There was an adoration in his eyes that gave Hermione butterflies. "Who knows, maybe one day you'll marry me, Hermione."
She flushed, ducking her head into his shoulder to hide her face.
"Maybe." She murmured, but she didn't see the broad grin on Sirius face.
November 18, 1977 Hogwarts, Scotland - Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory
Hermione was awoken in the middle of the night by a gentle shake. She opened her eyes to find Lily in her dressing robe and pajamas, and seemingly on the edge of a breakdown. Hermione pulled herself up, grabbed her wand and dressing gown, and ushered the other girl out of the room, towards the common room.
"I'm sorry I woke you up, Hermione, I just-" Lily said, on the verge of tears.
"Don't be sorry, you obviously need a friend." Hermione said, sitting down on the couch next to Lily and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Accio handkerchief," Hermione said, summoning a handkerchief from her trunk and handing it to Lily after it zoomed to her hand. "Now, what's going on?"
"It's Severus." Lily said, and Hermione frowned.
"I thought you were through with him?" Hermione said.
"I am, Hermione, but he won't leave me alone! He sat outside the common room waiting for me to get back from my rounds tonight. And it's not the first time it's happened! Last year, he threatened to sleep in the hall by the portrait hole if I didn't come out and talk to him." She said, her eyes red.
"That- that sounds very obsessive." Hermione said, worriedly. Lily smiled wryly.
"That's Sev. He throws all his energy into things he deems important. To the point of being obsessive about it. It's why he's so good at potions. And why he's so well-respected in the Death Eater circles. Some see his drive as ambition. He wants so bad to make up for his father's bullshit." She shook her head. "What do I do, Hermione?"
Hermione thought about it for a few minutes. She knew nothing of what happened to create the Snape she knew. She was just as lost as the girl sitting in front of her.
"Lily, I don't know." She murmured. "Does James-?"
"No." She said quickly. "James doesn't know, and please don't tell him. He'd track Sev down and threaten him, or worse. And as mad as I am at hi, as much as he's wronged me-" Lily started crying again.
"You still care about him, don't you?"Hermione asked. Lily nodded.
"I'm so worried about him. The Sev I knew, the Sev I grew up with- he was a good person. I don't know what happened over the years, but something changed him. He started studying the Dark Arts, making the wrong friends. Then one day, he called me a Mudblood and I knew." She said, shaking her head. "I knew we'd grown apart beyond repair. Mary sat with me for days while I cried. He was my best friend, how could he do that to me? Now, he's lost me and I think-" She smirked. "I think on some level, he realized that I was the last safety net for him. I was the last one who could pull him out of the shit he's gotten himself into."
"I know what you mean." Hermione said, thinking of Regulus and Sirius. "But you can't keep this up if he doesn't want out." Hermione said. "Unless...do you think he does?" Lily barked a laugh.
"I doubt it. At least, not yet. I really hope that one day, he comes to see how horrible he's been." She said.
"Lily, have you told him that you'd be there for him, if he finds himself on the wrong side of Voldemort?" Hermione asked carefully.
"No." Lily said, thoughtfully. "I told him that he's chosen his way and I've chosen mine. And it's true. Should he decide he was wrong, though, and want to change… perhaps I'll owl him and let him know where I stand on that." Lily said. "Thank you for getting up with me, Hermione."
"Of course, Lily. I wouldn't just leave you crying by yourself all night." She said. "That's not what friends do." Hermione told her, hugging Lily.
"I'm so glad I met you, Hermione." she murmured, squeezing her tightly.
"Me too."