Ch. 10- Massage in a Bottle

"Hermione. HERMIONE!"

Hermione's daydream was cut short by Remus's voice and a prod in her side. The two were in Arithmancy and it was near the end of the class. Apparently, Professor Kincade had just asked her a question because he looked at her as if expecting an answer.

"Uh, can you repeat the question, sir?"

Professor Kincade sighed audibly before turning to Remus and asking the same question, and Remus gave the correct answer.

"Correct, now if you could keep your partner awake throughout the rest of the year you two should do well." He gave her a last hard stare and shook his head before walking off to other pairs. The bell rang soon after and Hermione and Remus packed away their books and things.

"Dreaming about Sirius," Remus asked, his voice a little harsher than he wished. Hermione raised her brow at him and shrugged. She had been dreaming about Sirius, actually, but she didn't understand the hint of jealousy she heard in Remus's voice.

"Not really," she said. "More like dreaming about all of you. You are all wonderful friends and I'm so happy that you and Sirius know even if James and Lily can't."

"Actually, Hermione," he said, clearing his throat, his jealousy forgotten. "Sirius and I were thinking that, since he and I know, it couldn't hurt if two more knew."

"I dunno," she began. "It was by accident that the two of you even found out."

"Yeah, but… maybe we're supposed to know. Maybe this is fate and we've been given a second chance to do things."

"What… wait… you mean you want us to change the past so that the future never happened?"

"No, well, not the whole past," he said, playing with the straps of his book bag. "Just parts, starting with a sneaky little rat named Peter."

Hermione prodded him with her elbow when she saw Kincade looking at them with a look of suspicion. "Shh. Not safe to talk here," she whispered, her breath hitting his neck. He shivered and nodded. They finished gathering their things together and headed out of the classroom and heading for the Common Room where Sirius and James were immersed in a game of Wizard's Chess. Sirius looked up just as James's queen took his knight and called "Check Mate".

"Ah, Hermione, my dear," he said, rising and taking her hand, brushing his lips against it and then leading her to the table. "Why don't you show James that he's not the best at everything."

Hermione was about to tell them that she'd never played Wizard's Chess but bit her lip. After all, she knew Muggle chess—actually she was one of the best Chess players in her family and had one quite a few tournaments, though she had never exercised her skill on the Wizard's Chess bored finding it rather barbaric; now, however, she thought it might be fun—well enough.

"Alright," she said, taking Sirius's unoccupied seat and pulling it forward to the table as James reset his pieces. "I don't have any chessmen."

James dug in his bag and brought out a second set of pieces and set them up on her side. Being white, James made his move. Hermione made her move and gradually the game moved on.

Hermione bit her lip as her eyes darted quickly around the board passing pieces and set ups and—there-- her eyes found it! He hadn't realized it but James had left a set up for Hermione's last knight to move and take out the bishop and put James in check. James took her knight out with his Queen and Hermione, amid whoops from Sirius, sent her castle after his Queen, and grinned at James.

"Check and Mate," she said happily. James's eyes darted around the board for what seemed like and hour before he looked at her, grinning.

"Well played, Hermione," he said. "That's the first time I've been beaten since I stopped playing my grandmother."

"Aww, poor thing," Lily cooed, massaging her boyfriends shoulders. "You were beat by your grandmother?" James nodded as they all laughed.

"Hey," Sirius exclaimed. "Where's my massage?"

Lily shrugged.

"I dunno, why don't you go look for it?"

Sirius whimpered and then turned to Hermione who was laughing at Lily's reply.

"Hermione, could I bother you for a massage?"

Hermione blinked and then blushed.

"I… that is to say… I've never given a massage before… well, to anyone but my dad," she explained, but got out of the chair for him nonetheless.

"Well, today's your lucky day," Sirius said as he reclaimed his chair. Hermione rolled her eyes in Lily's direction and the two of them laughed silently and shook their heads.

Cracking her knuckles, and stretching her hands, Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and began to knead and rub his shoulders slowly and deeply. Sirius's head lolling back and his eyes drooping was enough to tell her that her massage was much better than he expected. Finally she finished and he looked up at her, taking hold of her wrists gently.

"That was unbelievable," he said. "Where'd you learn how to massage like that?"

Hermione laughed and smiled down at him, sending a small wink.

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out," she said.

"Oh yeah," he asked and began to tickle her in the sides by reaching back a bit. She laughed and then once he had stopped long enough for her to catch her breath, she nodded.

"Okay, okay. Fine. If you must know," she said with a mock airily tone. "Strong hands are genetic in my family. Grangers make for great masseuses, at least with the muggle ones. My parents are dentist… er… were dentists… uh… are still to become dentists… oh, I don't know."

Lily and James looked confused as Sirius and Remus nodded. Hermione looked from the two of them and nodded before turning to James and Lily.

"It's a long story…" she began.

"We've got time," Lily said, and James nodded.

Author note: Thanks to all my reviewers, without you this story would be written for absolutely no reason. Next chapter I will reply to every single review for this chapter, so be sure to review and ask questions if you're confuzzled. Thank j00!