Up in the hospital wing, Remus lay on one of the sterile hospital beds trying to sleep, but he couldn't. He was haunted by the previous night. Ever since his friends had become Animagi his monthly transformations had become bearable. He would usually be able to remember what happened during the night, but the scattered memories from the night before scared him.

There had been someone in the shack with him, someone who was not one of his best friends. The person had smelled familiar, but he couldn't figure out why. And then he was sure he had been in a fight with a big animal. It must have been James or Sirius. Maybe they had had another close call. The thought chilled Remus. He had to find out what happened.

He sat up in bed and looked to see where the nurse was. She was in her office. He slipped off the bed. Dumbledore always insisted he spend the day after the full moon in the hospital wing to rest and recover his strength, but he knew he would never be able to relax with this hanging over him. With one last look at the nurse, he slipped out of the hospital wing.

He caught up to the boys as they were heading for Charms. "I need to talk to you guys now," Remus said firmly.

"We'll be late for Charms," squeaked Peter.

"Skip it," Remus said.

James and Sirius gave each other a troubled look, but followed Remus into an empty classroom with Peter on their heels.

"I want to know what happened last night," he said. Immediately the boys looked at each other nervously. "Did I do something," Remus asked, turning white. "Did I get away from you last night?"

"No," James said firmly, "nothing like that. You didn't attack anyone, mate. We'd never let that happen."

Remus felt the tension drain from his body. "Then what happened? I only remember bits and pieces."

"It's a long story," said Sirius glumly, "and it's all my fault." Sirius and James did their best to relate what had happened the previous night, with Peter chiming in from time to time. When they had finished, Sirius said, "I'm really sorry, Moony. I was way out of line."

"It's ok, Padfoot. I know you didn't mean for all that to happen."

"No, it's not ok. She might have seen any of us transform. It would have ruined everything."

"Yeah, but she didn't. Don't beat yourself up about it. Anyway, what did happen to Snape?"

"James got to him and knocked him out before he got near the tree. We wiped his memory so he couldn't try again. Only, by the time we took care of Snape, Hermione was already down there."

"But how did she know," asked a troubled Remus.

"She's a dark wizard, I tell you," piped up Peter.

"She can't be," said Remus dismissively.

"Look mate, I know you like her and all, but you weren't there last night, not really," Sirius began. "There was no way she could have known what Peter and I did. We didn't even tell James because we didn't want to put him and Lily on the outs again."

"She went crazy," Peter cried. "She attacked Sirius and then later she attacked me. And she kept screaming about people being murdered."

"She didn't exactly attack me, Peter," Sirius interrupted. "I mean, she did hit me and all, but it wasn't like it was with you. She just lost it with you. It took both James and me to pull her off."

"Yeah, because she's crazy," insisted Peter.

"No, it doesn't make sense," said Remus.

"What are you getting at, Remus," asked James?

"It's just that she and I have been alone a bunch of times and she's been nothing but nice."

"She could have been trying to pump information out of you," said Sirius.

"And besides," Remus continued. "She was trying to stop Snape from seeing me last night. She went down that tunnel knowing full well what was down there. She risked her life to save me from being exposed."

"But why go down there," said James. "Why not wait for Snape outside?"

"Because she said you'd be too late, James," whispered Sirius.

"What?"

"Oh my God, I just remembered. I wouldn't tell her when Snape was going and she turned to Peter and said that James was going to save him, but he would get there too late."

"Yeah, that's right," said Peter. "Because. She. Is. Crazy!"

"Peter, shut up," said Remus. "What else did she say?"

Sirius ran a hand through his straight black hair trying to remember. "She said she had to stop it from happening again," he said excitedly. "No, she said she wouldn't let it happen again."

The four boys stared in wonderment at each other. No one knew what it meant.

"Where is she now," asked Remus? The boys shrugged.

"She wasn't at breakfast this morning," said James simply.

"She'll turn up eventually," assured Sirius.

They missed Charms entirely, but went to Potions after lunch and then trudged up to the Gryffindor common room. By dinner at six o'clock they had still not seen Hermione. Lily came to sit with them at dinner.

"Have you guys seen Hermione?"

Sirius, James, and Remus exchanged worried glances. Peter stared at his plate glumly. "No," said Remus. "Have you seen her at all today?"

"I haven't seen her since last night. I tried to wait up to see if she was all right, but she never came to bed. Are you guys ever going to tell me what's going on?"

"We can't yet, Lily," said James. "We're not entirely sure ourselves."

"I think we should look for her," said Sirius. "It's my fault she's gone. She probably thinks you all will take my side."

"Ok, let's split up," said James. "I'll go get my invisibility cloak and Remus and I will search the grounds. Sirius, you and Peter check the castle and Lily, go back to the dorm and check there. Then go to every girl's bathroom in the castle and see if she's hiding in one of the stalls. We'll meet back in the common room in two hours."

Fifteen minutes later, James and Remus were walking onto the grounds under the invisibility cloak. "Maybe we should start by the lake," said Remus.

"No, I think I know where she is," said James. "I'll bet my broomstick she's down in the Shrieking Shack. It's where I'd go if I wanted to be alone." Interpreting the silence, James continued. "I didn't say anything back at the castle because I didn't think Hermione would want to see Sirius or Peter. I thought maybe you and I could talk to her."

"Good idea," said Remus. "Of course, getting down into the shack will be a lot more difficult without Peter."

"We're not going that way. We're going through the Hogsmeade entrance. That's what the invisibility cloak is for."

The boys made there way out of the Hogwarts grounds and into Hogsmeade. Once at the Shrieking Shack they went around to the back. "Go ahead, Remus. You know you're the only one who has access to open the shack on this side, besides Dumbledore," said James.

Remus pulled out his wand, "Aloha Mora." Remus slid open the window and climbed in followed closely by James.

Hermione was still fast asleep on the bed, curled up, one hand pillowing her cheek. Remus stepped forward. "Hermione," he whispered. She didn't stir. He reached one hand out and touched her face. It was warm with sleep.

"Hermione," he said more loudly, shaking her shoulder.

She opened her eyes slowly. "Remus," she smiled sleepily.

He smiled back. "Yeah, it's me."

"Go away," she said when she saw who was behind him. "Just leave me alone," she said burying her face in the bed.

"We can't do that," James said, stepping forward. "You can't hide in here forever."

"Sure I can," she said bitterly. "You do it every month," she said pointedly to Remus. Immediately, Hermione's face clouded over. "I'm sorry, Remus."

James sat on the bed next to Hermione. "I wish you'd tell us what's wrong."

"I can't. I shouldn't."

"You said that last night. You said you promised Dumbledore."

Hermione nodded.

"You have to talk to someone," James continued. "You're obviously in pain. Whatever this secret is, it's making you miserable."

Remus approached uncomfortably, sitting on Hermione's other side. "You can trust us, Hermione," he said touching her arm gently.

At his touch, Hermione jumped to her feet. Remus's heart pulled painfully in his chest. "Are you so repulsed by me, now that you know that you can't even stand me touching you?"

Hermione whirled around to face him. "No," she said adamantly. "Never. I've never been afraid of you or repulsed." She stepped back and kneeled in front of him, taking his hand.

The gesture surprised him slightly, but also made his fingers tingle.

"This whole time I've been here, you've been the person who's made me feel the most at home and I've known about you the entire time."

"How, Hermione? Please tell me," Remus pleaded.

"I know, because where I come from it's not a secret."

"What, Beaubaxton," asked James?

"No, I'm not from Beaubaxton. I've been at Hogwarts since first year."

"You're not making any sense," said Remus.

"I know, just let me finish." Hermione took a deep breath and returned to the bed. "I'm from the future, over twenty years into the future."

"The future," said James incredulously. "Look, if you don't want to tell us what's up with you, you don't have to, but don't lie."

"I'm not lying, and contrary to popular belief, I'm not crazy either," she said.

"I don't think you're a liar or crazy, Hermione," said Remus gently. "But what you're saying isn't possible."

"Yes, it is," said Hermione simply. "I'm here."

"I know all about time-turners. I read about the use of them in History of Magic and you can't go back that far with them," Remus continued.

"I didn't use a time-turner. I wasn't even trying to come back. I walked through this door in the castle and the next thing I knew James was standing over me."

James and Remus stared at each other with looks of incredulity on their faces.

"I can prove it," said Hermione desperately. Now that she had finally told she wanted them to believe her. "I already knew that Remus was a werewolf." She turned to face him. "You got bit as a kid and you weren't certain that you'd even be allowed to come to Hogwarts, but Dumbledore was able to work it out. And then you were so certain that if any of your friends found out they wouldn't want anything to do with you." Hermione paused. "How am I doing so far?"

Both boys could only nod wide-eyed. "Anyway, James and Sirius eventually figured it out." She turned and looked at James. "I doubt Peter was much help there. He didn't even know the five characteristics of a werewolf for his O.W.L.'s."

James's shock was so great by this statement that he jumped off the bed and took a few steps before turning back and staring open-mouthed at Hermione.

"Got your attention, did I," she said. "So then comes fifth year, the year you were finally able to pull it off."

James shook his head in disbelief as if his own force of mind could stop her from saying what he already knew was coming.

"You know what," she began. "I agree with Dumbledore. It really is impressive that there were three unregistered animagi's running around his school without him ever knowing."

"This is impossible," breathed James. "What else do you know about us?"

"No, stop," said Remus suddenly. "You shouldn't say another word."

"Why," asked James?

"Because, she could put herself at risk if we know too much."

"No, I can't, not anymore," said Hermione sadly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm stuck, I can't go back." Tears fell softly down her face. "I'll never see my parents again or Harry and Ron. I don't have anybody anymore."

Remus reached out and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry," he said. "You won't be alone, I promise."

"Yeah, Hermione," said James kneeling in front of the two of them. "We'll take care of you."

Hermione smiled and pulled away from Remus, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Then she reached out and hugged James tightly. James patted her awkwardly on the shoulder.

Hermione laughed. "You hug just like your son."

James pulled back and held her at arms length, "my son?"

She nodded.

"I have a son?"

"Well, not right now, obviously, but you will."

They grinned at each other.

"He's one of the best people I know. One day soon, I'll tell you more about him."

"I think we should be getting back," said Remus. "Everybody will be wondering where we went."

"Yeah, let's go."

"One more thing," said Hermione. "I don't think we should say anything to anybody, especially not Lily or Peter."

"Why not Lily and Peter," asked Remus?

"Then can I tell Sirius," said James at the same time.

Hermione laughed. "It's not a good idea for Lily and Peter to know too much of anything right now. I still have some things to think about. You'll just have to trust me. And as far as telling Sirius goes, if you Potter boys are anything alike, I wouldn't be able to stop you. Harry told Ron and me absolutely everything."

"Harry, huh," said James. "His mother must have picked that name." James went to the window, opened it and climbed out. Then he reached back to help Hermione over. "You wouldn't by any chance happen to know who she is."

"Oh no, there are some things that are best left a secret."

"Kind of figured you'd say that," said James glumly.

Remus climbed through the open window last, carrying the invisibility cloak. "I sure hope all three of us will fit under this."

"Don't worry," said Hermione smiling wickedly. "This isn't the first time I've been under it with two guys."

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A/N: Hi all, it is time once again to thank all my reviewers. You guys rock! Thank you Rane2920072, Mrs. N. Snape, Brigd13, Hearts, Roxio, Sexy- jess, and Spaced Out Space Cadet. Things are going to start coming to a head for our poor girl Hermione and she's going to have some tough decisions to make in the upcoming chapters. (Just a little teaser!)