The next morning Hermione was extremely tired. She had tossed and turned all night debating with herself. She knew on an intellectual level that what she was thinking was completely insane, but her heart was telling her other things. The problem she finally concluded at around four in the morning was that she was in real danger of becoming emotionally attached to Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and even Peter. The solution, she told herself, was to limit her contact with them as much as possible. So when Lily asked if she was ready to go to Hogsmeade the next morning. Hermione told her she had stayed up late studying and she was too tired to go. Lily looked very disappointed as she walked down to join the boys.

Hermione stayed in the dorm room until everyone had gone and then made her way downstairs. She didn't want to spend the whole day cooped up in Gryffindor Tower, nor was she really in the mood to be around people. Hermione thought she might go see if Dumbledore had made any progress on sending her back to her own time.

As she walked down the first floor corridor, Hermione received a shock. She could hear an unmistakably familiar voice around the corner.

"He was gone again," said the oily voice of Severus Snape. "Where does Lupin go every month?"

Hermione gasped.

"Who knows," said another voice.

"I'll tell you who knows, Rodolphus," said Snape. "Potter, Black, that little wimp Pettigrew, and that mudblood Evans."

"Not to mention Dumbledore," said an icy female voice that chilled Hermione to the soul. She couldn't remember how, but she knew that voice was familiar.

"Well, Black is your cousin, Bellatrix. Why don't you just ask him." Said the boy Snape had called Rodolphus.

"He's no cousin of mine," snapped Bellatrix. "My aunt disowned him when he left home last summer. He's living with those mudblood lover's the Potter's."

"I say it's time to teach those traitors a lesson," said another voice.

"I think you're right, Avery," said Snape. "They're in Hogsmeade. Maybe we should pay them a visit." There was laughter and Hermione could hear them walking away.

Hermione stood shaking as she recalled something Sirius had told them in their fourth year. Snape had been part of a group of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.

Hermione knew she should try and head them off and warn James and the others, but she couldn't move. She kept telling herself over and over, 'I can't change the course of the future. All of this has already happened in my past. If I try to change the future, I could change Harry's past.' Then Hermione wondered if that would be so bad. What would Harry think when she came back and told him she hadn't warned his parents of their fate? He had lost almost every person he had ever loved and she could change that all. She could give Harry back his parents. She could save them all.

Hermione began to run down the corridor and out of the front of the castle towards Hogsmeade. If she was going to save Harry's parents from their future then she might as well start now.

By the time she had reached Hogsmeade, Hermione had a horrible stitch in her side and couldn't see James's gang or Snape's gang anywhere.

"Where are they," she said to herself and then she spotted Snape. Except that he was younger and a bit skinnier, he looked exactly the same. He was flanked by four guys and a girl all in Slytherin robes. She couldn't see any of the Marauder's or Lily yet, but she knew they must be close. She stayed several feet behind the group keeping an eye out for her friends.

They walked past Zonko's into the Three Broomsticks. Hermione didn't follow them. She knew they wouldn't try anything if they ran into them in the Three Broomsticks.

Past the Three Broomsticks, Hermione saw the Shrieking Shack and hanging on the fence around it were James, Lily, Sirius, Peter, and Remus. The five of them were laughing and she was struck, in particular, with Remus's face. She remembered how he had told her that this had been the happiest time in his life.

He was remarkably handsome when he laughed. The look of decency and kindness seemed to be infused in his very person. Hermione was gazing so intently on Remus that she didn't notice the Slytherins leave the Three Broomsticks and spot their targets.

The six Slytherins all raised their wands and took aim. Hermione saw them seconds before they cast their spells and screamed. "Watch out!"

All at once James pushed Lily down and Remus and Sirius pulled out their wands. Two spells flew over James and Lily. Another spell hit Remus and knocked him off his feet. The fourth spell hit Peter, who was fumbling for his wand, right in the chest. He fell with a thump to the floor and didn't move. Sirius managed to perform the shield charm and deflected two spells that had been shot at him.

Hermione pulled out her wand and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus." She managed to hit three Slytherins before one of them turned and shot a spell at her.

It hit her and she was thrown back into the tree she had previously been hiding behind. Hermione felt all the breath leave her body and she fell at the base of the tree gasping for air.

Seeing three of their companions down the remaining Slytherins turned and ran back towards the castle. Remus, seeing Hermione down, picked himself up and ran toward her. "Are you ok?" He asked kneeling in front of her.

She could only nod taking slow deep breaths.

"Do you think you can stand up?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said and took his offered hand. The feeling was electric. She stared into his eyes and whispered, "thank you."

"Is she all right, Remus," called Sirius as he performed the counter-jinx on Peter and pulled him to his feet.

Remus didn't answer he was staring at his and Hermione's joined hands.

"Oy, Remus," Sirius yelled.

Remus was jolted from his fog. "Yeah, she's ok," he answered. He looped his arm around Hermione's, helping her up and walked back to the Shrieking Shack.

"Are you guys ok," Hermione asked?

"Damn that Snape," Sirius growled kicking the fence. "He's going to regret the day he messed with us."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you sooner," Hermione said. "I just got distracted."

"Are you kidding," Remus said. "You knocked three of those morons out before they knew what hit them. That was amazing!"

Hermione blushed, "I wasn't fast enough."

James walked over to where the three Slytherins were lying and kicked one over. "That's Rosier, and the other two are Wilkes and Avery. I say we drag them behind the Shrieking Shack and let them stay there until someone finds them."

"James, we can't do that." Said Lily. "They could be out here all night."

"So what, they deserve it," retorted James.

"It's only going to make matters worse. I don't know why you guys can't just let this damn feud go."

"Lily, they started it," yelled James.

"So be the bigger person and finish it."

"Don't worry, I will. Snivellus and his little minions are going to pay for this."

"James Potter, this has been going on since first year. When are you going to grow up?"

"Hey Lily, that's harsh," Sirius snapped.

"Shut up, Sirius," said Lily blinking back tears. "The whole lot of you need to grow up." Then Lily turned and stormed off towards the castle.

James shot an angry look at her retreating back and turned in the other direction and stomped off followed by Sirius and Peter, leaving Remus and Hermione alone.

The two of them sighed simultaneously and then looked at each other and laughed lightly. "Well, there's never a dull moment at Hogwarts," said Remus. "Should we head back?" He asked Hermione.

"If you want to," Hermione replied. She was beginning to feel nervous holding onto his arm.

"I'm kind of tired of being cooped up," he said. "I can show you around Hogsmeade. Have you ever been before?"

"No," Hermione lied.

"It's a really cool place. It's one of the only wizarding communities left in Britain."

Hermione could only nod. For some reason she was only aware of the feel of his arm around hers.

Remus frowned down at her. "Maybe I should take you back to the castle. You did get hit pretty hard."

Hermione pulled her arm free of his. "No. I'm fine. I think I just need to sit down for a bit."

"Why don't we go to The Three Broomsticks?"

"Ok."

They walked into The Three Broomsticks and Remus made Hermione sit while he got drinks. Hermione's heart was beating wildly as she sat. "I will not get a crush on Remus Lupin," she scolded herself under her breath. "I'm not staying here and when I get back, he'll be an old man." She snickered to herself. Remus was not even forty in her time. Hardly an old man by anyone's standards.

"What's so funny," Remus asked as he returned clutching two butterbeers.

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about my friends back home," she said still smiling.

"What are they like?" He asked sitting down next to her.

"They're great. You guys remind me a lot of them. Especially James, he's a lot like Harry."

"Harry? Is he your boyfriend?" Remus asked staring at his mug.

Hermione smiled. "No. He's just a friend, one of my best friends. In fact, he and Ron are probably the two most important people in my life."

"I know what you mean," Remus said. "I feel the same way about James, Sirius, and Peter."

"I know," said Hermione softly.

"You know?" Remus asked.

"You can just tell," she returned quickly.

They sat silently for a few minutes. Then Remus cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, "so how did you know those guys were going to attack us?"

"I overheard them talking back in the castle," said Hermione.

"Yeah, what did they say?"

"Snape just said that he wondered where you go every month and that he was going to teach you mudblood lovers a lesson." And then she rushed on before she could stop herself. "Where did you go yesterday?" For some reason she wanted him to trust her with his secret.

"It's not a secret," he said. "My mother isn't well and sometimes I have to go home and see her."

Hermione nodded. What else could she expect, she thought to herself. He's known me a whole two days.

They sat talking for hours. People came and went from The Three Broomsticks, but Hermione and Remus hardly seemed aware. They talked about school, their parents, and their pasts, or more accurately, his past. Hermione felt a connection to Remus that she had never felt before, not even with Ron or Harry.

She and Remus were the same, both intellectual, both unceasingly loyal to their friends, and now they both knew what it was to have a secret eating at them from the inside.

Finally, when all the other Hogwarts students had left and it was beginning to get dark, Remus and Hermione went back to the castle. They were just in time for dinner.

Lily was not there and neither was James. Sirius and Peter were whispering at the end of the long table. When Hermione and Remus reached them they stopped talking abruptly, but neither asked what they had been saying. They each figured that Sirius and Peter just didn't want to say what they were talking about in front of Hermione.

The days and weeks passed and Hermione was settling into her new life. Dumbledore still hadn't been able to come up with a way to send her back, but with all her schoolwork and her developing friendships with Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, and especially Remus, she barely had time to care.

Before she knew it, it was time for another of Remus's "visits" to his mother. The day before the full moon Remus came to see Hermione.

"I have to go see my mother again," he said.

Hermione put on a concerned expression. "Is she ok?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "Just a bit under the weather. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that I'd be gone."

"Thanks," she said. "I'll see you when you get back."

Remus left after dinner and Hermione and the rest of the Marauders walked back to Gryffindor tower. Lily and James seemed to have made up, but their relationship seemed strained by the previous month's attack. Lily spent a good deal of her time in the library.

The friends sat playing exploding snap for a while before Hermione decided to turn in. She went up to the girls dormitory with the idea to get a few chapters read out of her Herbology book, when she remembered that she had left it downstairs. With a sigh, she headed back downstairs, but paused at the bottom step when she heard Peter speaking.

"This is going to be great. Snape will never know what hit him."

"Yeah," said Sirius. "This will teach him never to mess with Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail, and Moony." Sirius laughed. "Snivellus will take one look at him and piss himself." Peter joined in the raucous laughter. "He'll haul his ass out of there and that'll teach him to stop snooping around after Moony."

Hermione stood taking it all in and shaking with anger. She had forgotten this was going to happen. She was furious with Sirius. He had no idea what the repercussions to his stupid practical joke were going to have on all their lives. Snape was going to see Lupin again and almost be killed and then he would take it out on Harry every chance he got.

Hermione couldn't let it happen again. Snape hated James, she knew that, but maybe if she could stop it, he wouldn't feel the need to take it out on Harry.

Hermione flew down the remaining stairs and stood in front of Sirius and Peter. "When did you tell him to go," she asked, staring accusingly at Sirius.

The guys looked shocked to see her. "I don't know what you're talking about Hermione," said Sirius.

"Stop playing dumb. When did you tell Snape to go to the Whomping Willow?"

Neither of the boys spoke.

"Damn it. Tell me. You have no idea the trouble this is going to cause."

Again neither spoke. Hermione turned and looked to Peter. "I know James is going to save him, but he gets there too late. We have to stop it from happening now. I won't let it happen again."

"What are you talking about," said Peter timidly. "You're not making any sense."

"I'm talking about your stupid joke on Snape. Lily's right. He doesn't deserve this."

"Of course he does," said Sirius vindictively.

Hermione whirled around and for the second time in her life, she was so full of rage that she hit someone. Sirius felt the slap before he even saw it coming. "And does Remus deserve for everyone to know he's a werewolf?"

There was deathly silence in the room and then Sirius said quietly, "how the hell did you know that?"