Please enjoy the chapter it was so much fun to write and I hope you like it. A special thanks to Shiny-Goldeen. Your review made my day.
Anyway on with the chapter Allons-y
James looking over to Peter made a comment that he was glad Remus and Sirius were not around to hear
'Well Wormtail I think Mum and Dad are fighting again'
Hermione had been pacing around the girls dorm room for days. Hermione hated that she was obsessing over something that had not actually happened. She nearly kissed him, was she crazy. She must be surely because she nearly kissed him but would it have really counted honestly she was sad and he was scared. It was just a surge of emotions and a kiss would have been a physical comfort. That is it done and dusted, but Hermione could not help but wonder what it would have been like. Hermione and Ginny once overheard Tonks say that he was a great kisser, at the time they just giggled, he was their professor, but now here he was a handsome, smart and caring guy who was Hermione's age. Would it really be that bad if she kissed him?
'Just go and snog him for goodness sakes it will not kill you. Maybe you might like it and then you can do it again and again and again.' Marlene was truly no help. When Hermione stormed into the room shoes in hand and close to tears, the girls were naturally curious. So she told them everything. Alice and Lily were both lovely about it while Marlene was slightly more confused pointing out that they never actually kissed so no harm no foul. If looks could kill at that moment, Marlene would have been six feet under. Could Marlene have been right, Hermione had been overthinking things…again. She wanted him to kiss her and he wanted to kiss her so what in good gods graces is stopping her from doing it now. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Hermione had an inkling of where she could find Remus. Slipping on her shoes Hermione hoped her Gryffindor bravery held out long enough to do this.
'I'll be back'
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Hermione was aware that she had some followers as she made her way down to the lake. Marlene, Alice and Lily were obviously not going to miss this for the world. Especially Marlene. Her heart rate rose with every step she took. A strange mix of anxiety and adrenaline coursed through Hermione's veins. This was not something she had ever done before and most likely will never again. Because she did not know if her heart could handle it. He was just standing there, none the wiser was she really just going to walk up and snog him? All things pointed to yes. Standing in the shadows of the big oak tree Hermione could see him. Remus was literally three strides in front of her standing on the edge of the water admiring his friends whom had ventured in further. He was so much taller than Hermione that could be an issue, but then again. Hermione with the last ounces of bravery closed the gap between them and tapped Remus on the shoulder. As he turned, his green eyes met hers and he smiled.
'Hey Hermi….' Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione grabbed his shirt and pulled him in. In a state of shock for mere seconds, Remus did not kiss her back. However, for Hermione those seconds seemed to drag on for an eternity. It was not until his hands were around her waist pulling her in closer to him that his lips responded. Hermione could faintly hear the whooping and wolf whistling Marauders, though they might have well been in another universe because she was paying them no mind. When they finally both came up for air, Remus just looked at her for a moment
'What brought that on' his inquisitive tone was playful. The smile on his face was like a cat who had swallowed a canary. Clearly, she had not disappointed and he had not either. Biting her lip and blushing Hermione could not believe she had actually gone through with it
'Call it curiosity' she tried to sound playful. He laughed, the Hermione he had gotten to know was not quite like the one that just snogged him. If completely honest with herself, the Hermione she was now was very much unlike the one that she left behind. If Hermione were still in her own time, Hermione would soon be turning twenty instead of sixteen. He was still smiling at her, the kind that only a young man could.
'You know that killed the cat right' simply looking at the boy in front of her it was easy to see he was not the same man that died in the battle, with a wife and son. Instead, he was just Remus, Hermione could get used to that, and maybe she would not mind kissing again.
'Good thing I am not a cat'
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The week that followed was one of the best since Hermione had travelled not because of anything particularly outstanding. It was more that Hermione had finally found her place in this time. She fluidly moved between the girls and the Marauders. Neither taking more precedence then the other. Then there was Remus. They had not officially started dating and Hermione was ok with that for now. Instead, they were just willing to see where things went without any of the external or internal pressure. They had only kissed once since the scene by the lake. Remus had pulled her into an abandoned classroom after Transfiguration. He simply grabbed her hand and pulled her away the moment the McGonagall said they were dismissed. Hermione was initially worried that someone might walk in on them but all care vanished once they began to kiss. Dropping their bags in favor of having their hands free, Hermione on her tiptoes wrapped her arms around his neck. In a surprise move, Remus picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He spun her around as she laughed at the playful wolf. Everything was just fitting. It was as if she had known these people her whole life rather than the few months. If she was honest with herself, Hermione felt like she had made another home amongst these amazing individuals. It was easy to be distracted by the Marauders and the girls so easy in fact, that Hermione had forgotten the date. It was not until she heard some Ravenclaw students discussing their charms essay that was due the next day, on the nineteenth. Tomorrow was the nineteenth of September and Hermione was turning sixteen. It was also the day before the full moon. She had been paying more attention to the lunar cycle, then the dates on a calendar. It was the first full moon since school returned and Hermione was going to put the first part of her plan into action.
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When Hermione woke the next morning, she was not expecting what appeared before her. Alice Marlene and Lily had put in a lot of effort for Hermione. Decorating her bed with gold and scarlet ribbons and streamers, they even hung a charmed happy birthday banner above the bathroom door. Hermione could only imagine the time the girls had to have woken up to arrange all of this. It filled her heart with gratitude to know that Marlene, Alice and Lily had gone through all this effort for her. They had even brought her gifts, which they placed at the end of her bed. Each one varied in size and shape. Hermione was never big on her own birthday, she much rather give gifts then receive them. Hermione opened Alice's first. The small rectangular gift was heavy, tearing open the gift Hermione was amazed at what she found. It was an old leather bound book titled "Signs of the stars and moon: the complete guide to astrology and lunar cycles." Alice and Hermione had come across this book months ago in London. Next was Marlene's it was the smallest gift but Hermione knew better then to judge something by its size and at the moment she saw what was inside Hermione was glad she knew such things. Opening the small red velvet box Hermione saw a simple beautiful silver three-dimensional rose shaped pendant with a ruby in its very center. Taking the stunning piece from its case Hermione had to put it on. She was never really the jewelry wearing type but this simple elegant pendant was slowly changing her mind. The last gift was from Lily. Tearing back the paper Hermione saw a skinny long white box. Opening its lid revealed a stunning red strapless tulle dress. Pulling it out of the box, Hermione admired the way the full softly pleated skirt way fell to the middle of her calf as well as fitted wrapped bodice. She wondered when she would ever get the chance to wear such a beautiful dress. Not wanting to waste any more time Hermione hurried through the regular morning routine. Hermione practically ran to the great hall wanting to see the three amazing girls whom she was lucky enough to call her friends.
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Remus came and sat with Hermione and the others that morning. He kissed her on the cheek and handed her an envelope. Honestly, Hermione was not expecting anything from him, opening the packet Hermione found a photo of the Gryffindor Quidditch cup party. Hermione was front and center dancing with Lily, Marley and Alice. Flipping it over Hermione found that Remus had written on the back "Hermione, at this party was the first time I ever saw you, and I am so glad I did. Happy birthday RL." Hermione turned and gave Remus a quick peck.
'Ugh do you have to do that at the table' Sirius sat across from his friend as James and Peter joined the group 'why are you so important today anyway Hermione is it your birthday or something' Lily, Marlene, Alice, Remus and Hermione paused for a moment before they started to laugh at the animagus. Sirius however was unimpressed that he was the punchline to a joke that he clearly was not in on. Hermione stopped laughing just long enough to help the frustrated young man
'Well yeah today is actually my birthday.' Sirius looked like a deer in headlights. It was something that Hermione doubted happened very often especially in the way of his female company. However, she had now managed to have the upper hand…again. This was a birthday that Hermione was never going to forget.
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At the dinner table Marlene, Lily and Alice could not help themselves as they started to sing Hermione the Happy Birthday song. Naturally, Remus, Peter, Sirius and James joined in adding to Hermione's already heightened embarrassment. She noticed that Sirius was staring at her, more often then he usually did. There was something different in his steely grey eyes that Hermione had never noticed before. She could not quite put her finger on what it was, but it made her shift with the weight of it. It was shortly after dessert was served that Hermione decided that she wanted to have an early night. The girls grumbled and groaned about the need for a celebration for her sweet sixteenth but Hermione stuck to her guns. Remus enjoying his second bowl of ice cream wished her a Happy Birthday.
'I won't see you until I get back, I have permission from Dumbledore to go see my mum she is really sick. Do you want me to walk you back to the dorm?' Hermione knew that Remus was lying to her. She could hardly be mad however because one, she had her own secrets and two he did not know that she knew. Shaking her head Hermione wanted him to enjoy himself before the full moon. She wondered if the Wolfsbane potion had been successfully brewed yet. Making a mental note, to do some research Hermione stood and left the Great Hall.
She had just reached the end of the corridor when she heard someone shouting her name. Turning she saw Sirius running towards her. Hermione could not help but wonder why this particular Marauder wanted her to wait for him. Since their first meeting, Sirius and Hermione have always tried to one up each other in a sense. Each tried to ruffle the others feathers as much as possible. Hermione enjoyed the cat and mouse game they played together; it was all harmless fun until the Sirius' ego got in the way. Then they just ended up fighting. He did not like the fact that Hermione refused to become like every other girl that crossed his path.
'I thought that you might like some company, I cannot very well have the birthday girl walking alone now can I' he winked at her. It was nothing new to Hermione she had noticed that he was a fan of the flirtatious wink. Usually girls swooned the moment he looked at them. Hermione however enjoyed provoking him 'You know I don't think I have actually said this to you yet but happy birthday love, you are singlehandedly the most infuriating woman I have ever met, but at least you keep it interesting' and that right there was the reason Sirius Black got on her nerves so often. He walked around with a bravado and a holier than thou attitude. He could never just be real with Hermione unlike James or Remus; Sirius could never be well serious.
'No you hadn't yet and thank you. I am sure that back handed complement was not intentional or did you want to be a prat to the birthday girl' Hermione could see for a moment that Sirius was honestly trying to think of an answer. When he finally thought of what to say Hermione wished he had just kept his fat mouth shut.
'well Moine I think I actually said three nice things to you and only one that might have been considered as nasty but only if you choose to see it that way' Hermione stopped and just stared at the boy for a moment on the third floor landing. Sirius had a way of making people second-guess themselves in relation to what he says. It is one of his more Slytherin-esque qualities and Hermione hated the way it always seemed to work. She would have to get a better bullshit radar or step up her own game.
'You know I like it when boys talk nasty to me but I prefer to be wearing less clothes' Hermione loved the dumbfounded looks that Sirius got when he was not expecting a comeback. It was like her own little high that was purely at his expense.
'Hermione firstly thank you very much for the image of you with no clothes on, secondly aren't you dating my friend.' Rolling her eyes Hermione wondered if he would ever realize that she was not just one of his playthings in fact, Hermione could hold her own and she was never going to let him forget it.
'Firstly down boy, and I mean that in every way and secondly it was not my fault that you went down that path in fact it is only as dirty as it's interpretation'
After that the two barley spoke until they reached the entrance of Gryffindor tower. Before Hermione even got the chance to speak the new password, Sirius interjected. The words that came from his mouth were something new. Something that their witty friendship had not encountered yet. Sirius pulled Hermione just slightly to the side of the portrait and spoke to her with genuine sincerity.
'I really do hope that you have had a good birthday you know. And I just wanted to say that I think Remus is really lucky to have you, because you really are a one of a kind Hermione Granger'
Then he left her standing there with the same dumbfounded look he had on his face just a few minutes ago. Hermione hated this feeling. Round two to Sirius. She hated that just as much.
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Hermione had already showered and changed into her pajamas by the time she noticed the newest additions to her bedroom. A small birthday cake and a purple box with a golden ribbon sat at the end of her bed. On closer inspection the cake was from James, she knew this because the writing on top read Happy 16th for JP. Dipping her finger into one of the cream rosettes and consuming it. Hermione carefully sat on her bed as though not to disturb the cake decided that one more gift surely would not hurt. The small tag on the box revealed that this particular gift was from Sirius Black. Instantly she had to reconsider the whole not hurting her thing. Carefully Hermione lifted the lid wondering if it would explode or embarrass her in some kind of way, but all caution dissipated when she saw what was inside. Picking up the small crystal figurine Hermione admired the intricate design of the unicorn. It surprised her more when the ornament came to life in her hands. Glad she was sitting on her bed Hermione dropped the horse. The unicorn was not unlike the dragon that Harry had received during the Tri-Wizard. It galloped and neighed around on the top of her bed trying to climb up on Hermione's lap. Nestled inside the bottom of the box was a small note from Sirius.
Hermione, I saw this and immediately thought of you do not ask why because even I do not know. It was going to be your Christmas gift but when you told me it was your birthday, I simply had to give it to you now. Happy Birthday Love
Sirius Black
P.S let me know when you go to cut your cake I wanna be standing close by for when you touch the bottom.
It was a lovely gift until the end of the note. It is such a pity that he has not concept of when to put down the quill or when to zip his fly, however his gift was in a word beautiful.
Hermione was playing with the unicorn when the girls returned to the dormitory. Each of the loved the newest addition to their group and the chocolatey goodness that was her birthday cake. Hermione decided to name her Equuleus; at least Hermione thought it was a she. Alice asked her where she came up with such a name.
'Equuleus is a constellation in the northern sky. It means little horse or foal in Latin, which actually makes it kind of perfect the more I think of it.' Each girl agreed it was the right name for the little unicorn. Lily was currently the one holding Equuleus, she was lucky to have Lily in her life in this time. It would have been so easy for her to turn Hermione away, especially after Hermione had told her everything. It was hard to believe that lily had known all of her secrets for nearly two weeks and she was still unwavering in her friendship. She naturally had questions, Hermione would have thought she were crazy if she did not, but they were simple things like why this time? What was her life like? Hermione asked every question Lily could possibly think of, for her it was more selfish then simply answering Lily's questions. For Hermione it was more about keeping the Hermione from her time alive and in turn, those she had come to love as well. Yep Hermione was certainly luck to have Lily.
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Long after the girls had gone to bed Hermione could not sleep. As she tossed and turned, she could not get something out of her head. As any chance of dozing off was, slipping further and further away Hermione decided that she would take her chances and read down in the common room. Slackly tying her dressing gown over her turquoise scoop neck t-shirt and shorts, Hermione lazily made her way down the stairs. As she sat down in the comfortable chair by the fire Hermione began to read, however before she got the chance to immerse herself fully in the pages a familiar voice interrupted the silence.
'Hey there birthday girl' flopping down in the empty sofa beside her was Sirius Black in his half-naked glory. It was the first time she had seen him topless. Tried as she may Hermione couldn't help but admire his body, everything from his muscular stomach, broad shoulders and toned arms. It was painfully clear why so many of the female students at Hogwarts wanted their moment with Sirius. Even though his body was delightful to look at Hermione could never get over his immature attitude.
'God isn't it over yet' she sighed, as Sirius laughed.
'Nope sorry love you still have a whole four minutes' for a moment they just sat in silence. It was unlike any silence she had ever experienced with Sirius, as they were usually awkward or non-existent. Then Hermione remembered that she had not thanked Sirius for his gift and she really did like it.
'Sirius thank you for my gift I named it Equuleus, it was a real hit with the girls too.' Sitting up and turning towards her Sirius looked different. His brow furrowed and his steely grey eyes glazed over for a moment before he spoke again.
'Equuleus like the constellation, wipe that look off your face I do pay attention in some classes you know and besides I do not care about what the girls think the only thing I care about is if you liked it.' His words shocked Hermione in two ways. The first was that he knew the origin of the name she picked, second and lastly he spoke with sincerity. That was the second time today he had done so. If she did not know better Hermione would think that Sirius actually genuinely cared for her. It was not in a romantic way because; he himself said that she was off limits because of her developing involvement with Remus. Hermione had not noticed the clock chiming when Sirius spoke again
'Well love it is no longer your birthday, and I don't know about you but I need my beauty sleep got a big day today sleep well Mione' he awkwardly leaned down and kissed her cheek. For a moment, she thought she heard him inhale deeply, but quickly dismissed that because it seem far too odd. She wanted until she could not see him anymore before leaving the common room herself. He was right Hermione needed some sleep because the coming night was going to be a big night.
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As Sirius laid in bed, his mind was wide-awake with the thoughts about Hermione. She named it after a constellation. Was it an homage to astrology or to the gift giver he was not sure? Either way it made him feel a strange sense of pride and longing. She often did that to him. Girls usually melted when he looked at them but not Hermione. She stood strong; always ready for a game of wit, hell she even made him look things up to see how good she burned him. Closing his eyes for a moment Sirius recounted the way her eyes drifted from his face to appreciate his body. She thought perhaps he had not noticed but he knew. What she did not know was that he returned the favor. The sccoopneck camisole and shorts left little to the imagination. He noticed the subtle curve of her breasts and hips. More than that she smelt so good, like vanilla and jasmine. Sirius could never get enough of an intoxicating blend. Remus was sleeping on Sirius' right; he was envious of him in that moment. Yep Hermione was a one of a kind and one of his best mates took her.
I really hope you liked it the next chapter is going to be fun. Please tell me what you think of the chapter and review.
