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Chapter 7: Caribbean Rum

The first things I noticed were the dark glow of the half moon, the familiar harsh brush of sand on my cheek, and the salty scent of the Caribbean.

I knew it well after the frequent trips my parents and I took as we cruised among the blue-green sea every summer. Just the thought of them churned my stomach into a knot. A sickening knot, tight enough to bring very heavy, distressing tears… but I can not focus on that now because one day I will see them again. I will see Harry and Ron again. Not Voldemort, not even Dumbledore could keep them from me.

It just dawned on me that I was finally on one of the secluded islands I'd dreamed of for so long. I was here with Sirius, Remus, and Harry's parents… not to mention their murderer, Peter… courtesy by a portkey! In 1978! How bizarre could this get?

What I didn't realize was that this is only the beginning. There was much, much more to come.

"Where the bloody hell are we!" Lily swore. She didn't seem the type to swear with the exception of very serious situations. Apparently this was one of them.

"In the middle of the Caribbean with not a soul on the island apart from ourselves!" Sirius half sang as he and James took a swig out of one of the bottles.

Lily was silent for a moment. I assumed she was thinking along the same lines as myself. Did they seriously have another portkey lying around because there certainly weren't any fireplaces to floo from?

"Don't worry, Lils… we can apparate back. We're not first years anymore." James read our minds.

"I didn't pick this dump, Lily," said Peter, looking towards her innocently. "They chose it. I told Remus to stop them."

I was growing annoyed with the fact that he automatically placed the blame on the others once he sensed anger, but Lily obviously didn't catch this.

"We don't doubt that it wasn't your fault, Peter," Lily told him, flashing him her most motherly smile.

"I don't think it's a dump at all! It's rather beautiful actually," I commented loudly, watching his mouth twitch.

Why couldn't she see through his fake little "innocent boy" demeanor? I had only just met the young Peter and could already see how his loyalty was only temporary. After all, this was their seventh year and Peter would turn on them soon after graduation, which means he couldn't possibly have maintained his fidelity up until then. He confessed that he was plotting against our side once Voldemort was becoming too powerful inside the shrieking shack. I could change that… I could easily take this into my own hands…

Then, my thoughts were broken by a large wave of cold, salt water, slapping me in the face.

"My hair!" I shrieked, whirling around and whispering Sirius' name with a vengeance.

I was extremely surprised to find Remus smirking at me playfully, ready to make a dash for it.

"That's right, Lupin!" I hollered, heading towards him at a sprint. "You better pray that you're faster than me!"

As I found, he was quite the runner and I suppose he can thank his werewolf qualities for that. I was careful to dodge rocks and hidden conch shells that had washed up on the beach, picking only the tender areas to place my feet.

Remus appeared to be doing the same because he hadn't slowed since we began. He led me past the rest of the Marauders, who were busy flinging sand at each other, and onto the outer beach.

Once we hit a bend where the trees came out a little farther, I came up with a plan and threw myself behind a boulder, faking a yelp.

As I predicted, Remus turned around worriedly and began shouting, "Hermione…? Hermione! Are you alright!"

I heard him approach, robes dragging in the sand and took my chance just when the first toe was visible on my side of the rock.

Slashing my arm forward, I grasped the whole of his bare foot and sent him sprawling to the ground. In a victory tackle, I pinned the wolf to the ground, grinning all the while.

"Quite a competitive one, aren't you?" Remus giggled, motionless in his position.

It was then that I began to blush ever so slightly at having let that side of me slip a bit too far. I have just tackled my professor! I thought quickly before noticing the playfulness in his eyes I'd never witnessed before. And it was so worth it…

I smirked at him knowingly and finally pushed myself off, burying my face in my knees.

I gazed over my arm into the open sea as I sat in the sand next to Remus, thinking about how it was sand that got me into this mess in the first place.

"Do you miss him?" Remus questioned, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Hmm?" I said, lost in the moment.

"James' son… Harry, isn't it?"

"Oh… oh, yes. It's only been a day though. I imagine as time carries on I will miss him more, both Harry and Ron. I don't suppose you know the Weasley's?"

"Oh, yeah," replied Remus, now situating himself next to me. "Arthur was quite a few years ahead of us when we arrived at Hogwarts though."

I looked over to him smiling in my direction, looking calm as ever. That's my Lupin… always the calm, caring guy you could count on to put on a face. This time, however, his smile was sincere.

Why wouldn't it be? He hadn't a clue to what would happen in a few years time. It was a smile so innocent, my heart felt it was breaking by the second.

"Remus, how did you meet the other Marauders?" I asked, attempting to mask my distress, although it was a question I'd always been curious to know.

"Well, now that's a story I know a couple of lunatics sitting over there would love to tell…" Remus chuckled lightly. "When I first got on the train, it was my immediate reaction to search for an empty compartment, not even daring to look anyone in eyes lest they see right through me."

"You mean, figure out your secret?" I asked innocently, watching for his reaction.

"Yeah, like in one glance they might already know and be too afraid to ever come near someone like me…"

"Already, you were feeling that? Remus, sometimes you've got to have faith in people."

"Not all people, Hermione," he said solemnly. "Some just never- wait a minute, when did you figure out about my… secret?"

"Not too long after I met you in my third year. You didn't think that I would let all the signs with my professor disappearing every month slip by even for a moment now, would you?" I told him, a hint of my know-it-all self slipping through.

"I suppose not," he replied quietly. "And you don't have a problem with it?"

I could've died just seeing the hopeful face he made as he asked me that.

"Of course not!" I said defiantly. "And neither did any of your other students, with the exception of the Slytherins, when they found out! You know why! Because some people can look through things so shallow as being a werewolf to the beauty of a person, to the polite, kind, and caring man that I always knew you to be!"

I watched Remus gaze at me, first with surprise and then absolute delight. In fact, if I didn't know any better, he looked like he would love nothing more than to kiss me right then and there.

"And anyways, you never finished your story. Please continue…" I gestured, breaking him from his happy little trance.

"Right, right… well, when I thought I had finally discovered a compartment to isolate myself in, I found that it held one other lonely-looking component. That meek, blonde-headed boy I soon discovered to be called Peter Pettigrew.

I involuntarily shivered at the name.

"Peter seemed to be feeling something very similar to what I was feeling, for different reasons, of course," Remus continued. "Just as the train was leaving and we were finally beginning to grow comfortable, I heard a large ruckus right outside our compartment. 'No magic outside of Hogwarts!' an authoritive voice proclaimed. I took a brave move and peaked out only to find the amusing image of young Snape clad in a polka-dotted dress and rosy cheeks.

"I also glimpsed a tall figure that I can now identify to be McGonagall, who asked in the same voice, 'What is the meaning of this, Mr… ?' 'Potter,' young James answered, Sirius snickering just behind him. 'It wasn't my fault. That little bugger over there,' he gestured to Snape, 'He glared at my friend Sirius, here, but when Sirius asked him what was his problem, the grease-ball called him a name I'd rather think was inappropriate to say in front of you, professor. So, you see…' 'I think my buddy gave the bad-mouthed, goblin-faced, little bugger exactly what he deserved,' Sirius butted in. Even by that time they were already finishing each other's sentences."

"Sounds like Sirius alright," I laughed, picturing the scene just how Remus was describing it. "So, how did you come to meet these trouble-makers?"

"Ah, now I was just getting to that part. Seems a bit ironic though, don't you think? I mean, the two of them, completely opposite from myself and Peter, unknowingly about to become the best friends I'll ever have in my life?" he paused and watched me nod with a smile before continuing. "Anyway, McGonagall didn't seem to be too satisfied with their answers. After spotting my compartment, in which I immediately shut the door, she told the two of them that it would suit them better to sit in a compartment with a couple a good, quiet students like myself and Peter and to try to remain out of trouble for at least the rest of the trip.

"They reluctantly agreed and situated themselves with us. Of course, I was a little unsure of them at first, but can you blame me after I had just seen what they did to Snape? Then they introduced themselves and soon after that, we took a great liking to each other. Now, however, I realize how much that nasty, big-nosed Slytherin deserved everything he got!"

I giggled, and replied, "I must say, I've never heard you speak of him so bitterly before."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"You're usually too polite for that." I shifted my gaze and watched him laugh.

"Well, I won't say it's not true that the two of them tend to take things a bit too far when it comes to Snivellus. However, there's no doubt in my mind that the man is pure evil in and out."

"I have to say I completely agree," I told him, enjoying our peaceful concurrence when a loud, familiar, barking laugh resounded from the group huddled quite a few feet away.

"HERMIONE! RE-E-EMUS!" we heard Sirius bellow in a drunken state, "Would you two like to join us?"

"Do you suppose we should?" Remus questioned, leaving the option up to me. Clearly, this was his warning.

"Might as well…" I said, throwing caution to the wind and standing to brush myself off.

"Alright," Remus said reluctantly and led me back to the others.

As we neared the group, I could see Sirius and James making wild gestures while the other two laughed furiously.

Once we came within speaking distance, I asked James hesitantly, "What exactly is in those bottles you stole from the Hog's Head?"

"Caribbean rum!" Sirius answered, greatly reminding me of a certain sexy pirate I do recall seeing in a muggle movie not long ago.

"And we didn't steal it. I assure you it is fully paid for, though maybe not legally," James finished. "Care for a swig?"

"Absolutely not!" I protested, my better judgment taking over. Maybe I could watch them induce themselves with a foreign alcoholic drink, but I would not sink so low as to do it to myself.

"She's right, you guys," Remus stepped in. "It's probably not a good idea for all of us to get wasted if we want to get back to the school anytime soon."

"Oh come on, Remy-kins," Sirius whined, waving a bottle around. "Don't all of a sudden try to act like the innocent, good guy! Hermione, you really should know that he's partly putting on this act for you. I've seen him drunk before and it's definitely a sight you don't want to miss. Remus can get down-!"

As Sirius did a hilarious, seductive imitation of Remus dancing, I saw a mass of sandy-blonde hair streak past me and tackle Sirius much like I had done to him earlier. I laughed loudly at the image of Remus on a dance floor, and briefly thought that it might not be so bad to experience a little of the rum's effects.

Although that thought was quickly pushed to the side, for Sirius was just announcing his new idea for the night. "I say we all have a nice, innocent version of the muggle game, Truth or dare!"

Oh no! I thought as everyone echoed their agreement. Clearly, the night wasn't nearly over.

A/N: Alright, I'm sure most of you thought I died or want to kill me for not updating for so long. It's true that life has been hectic ever since junior year started, but not only that, I've been so angry ever since that sixth book came out. I had to take some time to cool off before I continued anything Harry Potter related. ; ) However, after the movie came out, my obsession has been renewed and I am back again! The next chapter should be good… hehe… I love Truth or Dare!

Thanks to my reviewers and my editor, Dem Dem! Peace and love to you all!