Hermione had just gotten the redheaded infant to sleep as she paced the room. This was going to be her life in a handful of months, could she be ready? Under no circumstances would she eliminate her miracle, no matter how seedy the conception was. As for the man in question… how was she going to approach the subject?

She had to tell him. Harry would about kill her if she didn't. Hermione knew for a fact that Remus would find out. Holding the infant would block off some of the scents- she would have to be clever about tonight at least until she figured out how to tell them. Merlin, what the hell was she going to do?

Sirius would never flat out accuse her of trapping. No, he would be gentlemanly about the situation. Hermione didn't need his money nor his support. If she had to, she would do this alone.

There was a knock at the door. "Hermione, can I come in," Remus whispered.

Hermione made a sound of approval, and the werewolf appeared. "Good evening, Remus," Hermione breathed.

He smiled and shut the door before walking up to the rocking witch. "He's taken quite a bit with you."

"He's a good boy," Hermione sighed and caressed his red hair.

Remus scowled. "You've done this before with all the children."

"Oh, yes. It started with Teddy and Victoire. By the time James was born, I was a professional," Hermione teased with a smirk.

Remus wagged a finger at her, and she offered the sleeping child. His rough fingers touched the boy's hand as he walked. "Harry loved it when I held him."

"You're so much warmer," Hermione noted.

The werewolf nodded in, replied, and exhaled. "It was unfortunate that I missed these moments with my son."

"What's going on with you and Sirius?" She asked, but her tone made him glance up at her.

She looked physically pained.

"We've been adjusting. It was hard on us that you just left," Remus sighed.

She shuffled her feet and gazed down at the floor. "I had to. Both of you deserved the space to find your way. Harry tells me you both are mostly happy."

"A few bumps in the road here and there. It happens when you have baggage," Remus replied.

Hermione bit her lower lip as she still wouldn't meet his gaze. "Remus, I did something terrible at my party. I know he told you, but I wanted to apologize."

"No need, we have an understanding in regards to you."

"I shouldn't be an exception," she huffed with a glare.

"But you are, Hermione. If you would have stuck around before the ink even dried the next day, we would have told you that. Neither one of us ever dreamt that someone would add to our happiness, but you do. I wish you understood you're not a barrier but a bridge."

"Why haven't you told me you're still having problems?" Her tone was accusatory.

"Why haven't you come home?" Remus responded with an arched eyebrow.

Her cheeks were blazing in the low light of the room. "It isn't right what we did, Remus. You love each other. That's how it's supposed to work. It was just a spell and anything after is wrong," she hissed.

"So, our affection for you has no weight?" He questioned.

Hermione took back the child to stuff down nausea she was feeling. "Not as much as you both for each other."

Remus chanced to reach out and touched her cheek. "Don't you understand, you stubborn, intelligent witch? You're our sun, not our Saturn. We would orbit you no matter the distance. You changed our lives."

Her eyes grew glassy as she held the small Weasley. "How does that work?"

"Well, for the record, you're the only witch I know who can taper any of Sirius's behavior and come out a victor," Remus teased.

Hermione swallowed and set the child down in his crib. "Remus, I have to go," she huffed.

When she walked by, he snagged her arm. "Please, please come home? We still need help. We still need you," he murmured.

"I have to go," she repeated and pressed her hand to her stomach. "Please."

He released her, and she almost sprinted down the staircase. The werewolf listened to her footfalls fade, but something seemed amiss. Remus decided to go track her down and stopped by the bathroom when he heard someone voiding the contents of their stomach in the loo.

Sirius had walked up the staircase as she flushed the toilet and sobbed. Remus could hear her whimpering. "I don't know how I'm going to do this," Hermione breathed before heaving.

"What's going on?" Sirius murmured.

"I'm a horrible person," Hermione sobbed.

Remus sighed and held out a hand. "Your turn."

Sirius scowled as he knocked on the door and Remus ducked from view up the stairs. "Love, can I come in?"

"Go away, Sirius!" Hermione cried through the door.

"Love, please? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," Sirius pleaded against the barrier.

She cracked the door, and the animagus frowned at her wretched appearance. "Darlin', why are you crying?" He asked.

She wiped her cheeks and huffed. "I, it's, well." She sputtered.

"He doesn't blame you, love," Sirius said as he reached for her.

She dodged his hand and covered her face. "Please don't be nice to me, Sirius. Please. Yell at me. Tell me you never want to see me again. Anything but be so darn gentle with me. I'm going to ruin your life," she whimpered.

"Ruin my life?" Sirius questioned.

Hermione pressed him from the door opening and shut it with swift recourse. The animagus listened as she slid against the barrier and wept. It didn't make sense why she was so upset. A whistle drew the marauders' attention, and they looked over to see George. He waved at them, and they followed the Weasley down the staircase.

It was an odd follow-the-leader out the front door, and into the garden. George ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. "Fellas, we need to talk," he mumbled.

"What's going on, George?" Remus asked.

"She's not going to tell you what's wrong with her. Hermione doesn't have it in her to do it. She'll have to eventually, but let's not push her tonight. There's tons that witch is going through right now," George sighed.

"But we need to fix this," Sirius huffed.

Remus patted his shoulder before scowling at the redhead. "Is she ill?"

"No, but I'm worried she's going to hurt herself if she doesn't have time to absorb what's going on," George grumbled.

"She's inside puking her guts out," Sirius scoffed.

"And If I were you, I'd be asking why, not if she's sick," George rose his eyebrows.

Sirius scowled and scratched his scalp. "Why?"

Remus paled and tugged at his collar. "She isn't sick?"

"You asked that already," George smirked.

The werewolf felt like his legs were going numb. "And she's told you but no one else?" He breathed.

George nodded, and his grin grew. "Oh, yes, because she stomping around for an hour in anxiety this morning. But I can't tell you why, eh?"

Sirius still seemed lost as he glanced at both of them. "What?"

Remus crumpled and breathed deep before groaning. "Oh, Merlin."

"Mhm, that's what I'd say if I were you. My mum is going to skin you both alive," George teased and patted the werewolf's shoulder.

"Moony, what's going on?" Sirius hissed as he poked the bent werewolf.

Remus pulled the animagus to his level and breathed. "Pads, I used your body and we," he paused and huffed. "She's."

"She's… oh," Sirius blinked and sunk to his arse. "But she said."

"I know," Remus sighed.

"And she's," Sirius gulped.

"I know!" Remus hissed.

"And I…"

Remus moaned and shook his head. "We."

"How!"

George ducked between them and beamed. "Seems you blokes forgot the golden rule. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen to you. You should never forget to use protection."

Remus stood up and groaned. "Why hasn't she said anything?"

"I promised I wouldn't say anything and I didn't. I suggest you convince her to say something before she makes up a story to suffice, not admitting it to you both."

"How do you know it wasn't at her party?" Sirius questioned with a scowl.

George arched an eyebrow. "Ask Gin. She'll be able to tell you. Either way, I didn't say a word, and I'm sticking with it," he finished and moved to the door.

Sirius sat on the ground, resting his arms over his elbows. "So, we're still being switched, she's not talking to us, and she's," he couldn't even finish it.

Remus slumped down next to him and exhaled. "We have to take ownership of this mess for her, Sirius. It may have been your body, but I put this on her."

"Moony, question," Sirius tilted his head. "What if it's because you didn't shag her?"

"What?"

Sirius waved his hand between them. "You were me, I was you, but she didn't."

"Did the revelation that you're going to be a father cause the blood to leave your brain?"

"No, listen to me, Moony. We didn't start switching until weeks ago. Not long after she and I were in the broom closet."

The werewolf scowled and rocked his head. "Okay, I'm following. You're thinking it's a branding. Like in order for the spell to finish is if we both close the ritual with the host in question."

"Exactly minus the fanciful speech. I'm saying you probably need to shag her."

Remus groaned and scrubbed his face with both hands. "Okay, okay, but we need to work this business out first. She's upset, rightly so. She thinks it will be an issue."

"Well, you're suggesting she wants us a part of her life. What if she's ashamed?"

"Ashamed at what?" Remus asked.

Sirius huffed and narrowed his eyes at the werewolf. "She shagged both of us without us telling her it was more than a spell. I'm quite positive that it was a destructive process. She's like me, Moony, she doesn't believe that she can be loved and the unconventional is about the scariest form."

Remus rocked his head. "Yes, you're right. Then what do we do? There are no books written on the inner workings of Hermione Granger."

The animagus smirked and scratched his chin. "I have an idea. However, you have to be the one to pull it off."

Remus exhaled. "Okay, Pads, but If I'm cursed for it, I'm locking you in the attic."

"It's going to require you to do something you don't consider wise," Sirius said with a grin.

Remus groaned and cupped his face. "What do we have to lose?"


Hermione held the baby like a lifeline as she sat in the sitting room. Bill noticed her attachment and scowled as he sat down across from her. Fleur walked into the room while combing her hair from her face and groaned. "T'ank you, zo much, 'ermione."

She took the baby, and Hermione grimaced. "Of course, Fleur, I love to help."

"You're looking well, Hermione. Have you been working less?" Bill inquired.

"No, not really. I just have been focusing a bit more on my health," she lied.

There was a ruckus that came for the kitchen, and the curly-haired witch scowled. "What do you mean? Is he alright?" Molly shouted.

Hermione sprung to her feet and wandered into the kitchen to see Sirius panting. "I don't know, he just collapsed. He won't wake up!" Sirius cried.

"Pads, what happened?" Hermione asked.

He huffed and took her hand, dragging her toward the door. "Moony, he's not waking up," he breathed.

Hermione paled and nodded. "Take me to him, Sirius."

The animagus tugged her along across the grass to a large tree. It seemed the marauders were enjoying some quiet time away from the fray. Remus was pressed against the tree, and his head drooped like a doll. An innate fear built in the witch as she collapsed next to him and shook him.

"Remus, Remus!" She hissed.

"Is he breathing?" Sirius said with a shaky tone.

Hermione checked and gasped - he wasn't. She pulled him to the ground and pressed her ear to his chest. Nothing. The witch felt her body filled with adrenaline as she started chest compressions. Hermione began to sing a pop song she read in a muggle magazine about being the same rhythm as CPR.

She bent her mouth to his, pinching his nose and breathed into his lips. Hermione did that twice over before continuing with compressions. However, the next time she breathed into his mouth, he coughed and hit his chest. "Bugger," he groaned.

"What happened," Hermione gasped.

He didn't answer her; he scooped the witch up and kissed her savagely. Hermione whimpered and squirmed across his lap as he trapped her in his arms. It was raw, the type of kissing that led to great shags.

"What happened," Hermione gasped as she pulled from his lips.

"I don't know," he huffed while stroking her cheek.

"Love, it tore me up," Sirius clamored and fell to his knees next to them.

"I think the spell is getting worse," Remus grumbled.

Hermione cupped his cheeks and glanced between his eyes. "Remus, it's alright, I won't let anything bad happen again."

"Please, come home and help us?" He whispered.

Hermione rocked her head. "Alright, I promise. We'll solve this."

"By the way, love, when did you learn that song?" Sirius questioned.

Hermione's cheeks were bright pink. "Your records."

Sirius chuckled and hugged both of them. "Alright, then."

Hermione glanced back at the house to see Molly, Arthur, and company watching them… well, so much for discretion. It was going to be a long dessert.

They climbed off the ground, and Remus clung to the witch, fumbling with his feet. He was walking a bit like he was sluggish from drink. No one saw the animagus drop a Drop Dead Dark Chocolate wrapper on the ground. George was a bloody genius.