Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, places, descriptions, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

Summary: It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era with four new best friends.

Chapter 21: Carpe Vinum*

30 September 1977

The Halls of Hogwarts Castle

They were running through the halls and were being much too loud for sneaking about. But they didn't care. James led the way, map in hand, taunting Sirius for being too slow. Sirius was right on his heels, shouting obscenities at James. Peter was next, running with James' invisibility cloak held around his neck like a cape. Hermione laughed as Peter's back disappeared and reappeared with every step. Hermione followed next and bringing up the rear was Remus.

"Rule number one!" James shouted over his shoulder.

"What?" Hermione couldn't hear him over the laughter of the rest of the boys. James threw his head back to look at Hermione.

"Marauder Rule number one! Padfoot?" Sirius slowed his pace to match Hermione.

"Marauder Rule number one is fidelitas supra omnia." Hermione raised an eyebrow. Sirius' eyes were sparking with mischief. "Loyalty, over everything."

"Good on you, Padfoot, glad you remember." James brought the group to a stop in front of a statue of a one-eyed witch. Hermione's smile grew.

"Rule number nine," James looked between the boys. "Wormtail!"

"Always return the cloak," Peter said as he balled up the invisibility cloak and tossed it at James' face.

"Well done, Mr. Pettigrew." James pulled out his wand and moved to stand by Hermione. He winked at her. "Watch this. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Hermione watched in genuine wonder as the map responded to James' words. She'd seen the map reveal itself a hundred times, but somehow it was different this time as it responded to an original Marauder. The classrooms and grounds of Hogwarts spread across the parchment as black ink danced across the page.

"This is the pride and joy of the Marauders," James explained. "It's the most accurate map of Hogwarts ever created. Every classroom, every hallway, every secret passageway, it's all in here. And not only that…"

James moved his hand to point to the five pairs of footprints with five familiar names.

"That's us!"

"Exactly. Every student and professor is here. See, here we are. Here's Dumbledore in his office. And here's Filch, who so kindly decided to prowl around the other side of the castle tonight."

Hermione looked up at James.

"This is incredible."

"Just wait." James moved his finger to the space on the map just beside where they stood. The passageway to Hogsmead. He looked at Hermione who was doing her best to act as if she was just putting the pieces together. She turned to James.

"Is that a passageway? Here? I don't see one."

"Ah, Moony! Marauder Rule number 79?" Remus smirked before answering.

"Secret passageways are not for snogging." James' smile fell.

"Shit." He took a step back. He ran his hand through his hair. "Wait, hold on, I remember… Shit, shit." Remus, Peter, and Sirius chuckled. Sirius grabbed the map from James.

"Marauder Rule number 77," he said, confidently. "The map never lies."

Sirius stepped up to the One-Eyed Witch.

"Dissendium." The statues slid to the side silently, and Sirius turned back to the Marauders.

Sirius leapt through the hole in the wall, closely followed by Peter and Remus. James grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Come on, Pup. Here we go."

The second he landed in the tunnel, Sirius transformed into Padfoot. James changed into his stag form and let Peter crawl onto his back before racing Padfoot down the path. Hermione and Remus looked after them fondly.

"It gets easier." Hermione looked up at Remus.

"What gets easier?"

"Watching them. It was hard at first, seeing them as Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. I was jealous, you know. We don't get to play in our forms. It's not fun for us to change.

"But then I remembered why they did it. They learned because of me. And I realized that if I couldn't properly appreciate friends like that and let them have their fun, then I didn't deserve them."

"Oh, Remus," Hermione sighed, reaching out to touch his arm. "You're too hard on yourself. You deserve so much. Don't ever think you don't deserve the world, or at least Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail."

"Why don't you call me Moony?"

"What?"

"You never call me Moony, but you call them by their names."

"I call you Moony."

"Okay, yes, you call him Moony, but you don't call me Moony."

"Oh." Hermione thought about it for a second. "I guess it's because you're two different people to me. You and Moony. Like Padfoot and Sirius are the same, but you're—I don't know, you're distanced from Moony. I know he's a part of you, but it's like you don't know he's a part of you."

"Should I not call you Pup then?" Hermione was quiet.

"No, you can call me Pup. I think that's where we're different, Remus. I've accepted this, what we are."

"How can you just accept it?"

"The werewolf I lived with before," Hermione smiled. "He's one of the most amazing wizards I've ever met, and if being a little more like him means I'm a werewolf, well I'll take it."

Remus was silent and looked deep in thought.

"Oi, Moony, you and Pup better get a move on or I'll send Peter to eat all the chocolate!" A growl escaped Remus' throat and he looked at Hermione. The two burst into laughter and ran to catch up with the others.

"Okay Pup, so you've already learned Marauder Rules one, nine, 77, and thanks to my mistake 79–"

"–And 48." James looked at Remus.

"Oh, that's right. You took her to the kitchens." James turned back to Hermione. "Okay, so 48, too. Time to learn Rule 82."

James pushed open the door that led to Honeydukes. The Marauders and Hermione filed through one by one.

Hermione took in the stacks of sweets and shelves of candy. The smell of cane sugar swirled through her hair. Even in the dark, the store was overwhelmingly happy and colorful.

"Rule number 82—Take what you can, but always pay it back." James let a small pile of galleons fall through his fingers onto the checkout counter.

Hermione bounced through the aisles of Honeydukes picking out her favorite treats. A few chocolate frogs here, a couple sugar quills there. She laughed as she passed Remus who looked quite frustrated as he tried to decide whether to grab another chocolate frog.

"We're celebrating my birthday, Remus. Take the frog." This seemed to satisfy Remus since he grabbed not one but two more.

The Shrieking Shack

The three animagi had transformed and raced each other to the Shrieking Shack while the two werewolves followed under the invisibility cloak. Along the walk, Remus pointed out all the shops in Hogsmead and gave Hermione a run-down on the village. Hermione's cheeks started to hurt from smiling.

When they had arrived at the Shrieking Shack, Hermione burst out laughing. Peter, James, and Sirius had attempted to decorate the Shack with stolen treasures from Honeydukes. On the splintered table in the middle of the room sat a group of cauldron cakes with candles stuck about haphazardly. A huge bottle of firewhisky sat to the side. Hermione grinned.

Three hours later and they were sprawled about in a circle on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Peter was lying on his stomach examining the chocolate frog card he held an inch from his face. Sirius was reclining against the ratty couch, cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Remus and James were swaying side to side with their arms across each other's shoulders, singing a song Hermione didn't know. Hermione was sitting up, watching Remus and James in awe. Candy wrappers and half-eaten snacks were spread out across the floor. Peter had organized a circle of licorice around a sticky spot of spilled firewhisky. James and Remus let their voices fade as the song came to a close.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius said on an inhale before exhaling sharply. "Thought th'song'd never end." Hermione giggled. Her cheeks felt hot. She looked around at the boys before falling onto her back. She looked up at Sirius.

"Sirius." Hermione thought she was whispering but wasn't quite so. "Sirius, I think I'm drunk." Sirius chuckled, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"You're not sure, Pup?"

"I dunno! Never been drunk before." Sirius looked down at her.

"Wait, what? Never?"

"No! Never had time for it I s'pose."

"Huh," he looked over at the other Marauders. "Hey, M'rauders! Pup's never been drunk before!"

The other three Marauders popped up.

"Aw, Pup's so innocent," James laughed. Hermione couldn't help but giggle and cover her face. She sat back up.

"James, will you sing again?" Sirius sat up straight, too.

"Nuh uh. No more of that shit." With a flick of his wand, the radio that sat in the corner jumped to life. Music blared through the tiny speaker. Hermione couldn't make out the lyrics, but she liked the beat. It made her want to dance. She got up to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and started dancing to the song.

"Really Padfoot, this song? Again?" James shouted over the music.

"Iss our song, Prongs. Runnin' with the pack! That's us! Plus, seems like Pup likes it."

She danced in slow motion, moving from one foot to the other. Her arms waved above her head. She moved around the room, circling the small space before she came back to Sirius. She shook her head, letting her wild curls be free. Sirius mimicked her, shaking his own hair, and sang along with the song under his breath.

As the song ended Hermione twirled on one foot and lost her balance. But suddenly Remus was there, holding her steady.

"Whoa there," he said, taking hold of her arms. Hermione squirmed under his touch until she held both of his hands. She took the lead, pulling Remus with her. She spun away from him and allowed him pull her back. Hermione let her head fall to his chest. She closed her eyes as they continued to sway.

"You good?"

"I'm good, Professor."

"Professor?"

"It's what I call you." Hermione was only vaguely aware of what she was saying.

"A new nickname? Why Professor?" Hermione pulled away from Remus' chest and looked at him. Looking into her eyes, Remus felt like Hermione was looking into him, looking deeper.

"'Cause you're my professor. My werewolf mentor." Remus seemed to accept this. Hermione put her head back on his chest.

"Ah, yes. Trade one werewolf for another." Hermione didn't speak but she hummed against his chest. Remus tested out his new name. "Hmm, Professor. Professor. Okay, I can live with that."

"Oi, Moony! Stop hogging the birthday girl!" The song halted abruptly and was replaced by a more upbeat tune. Hermione giggled and hopped away from Remus.

James came up to her and grabbed her hands. The two jumped and hopped and danced along to the song. Hermione sang along without really knowing the lyrics. The rest of the boys stood up and danced along, too. Sirius banged his head, letting his raven locks fly across his face. Hermione danced from boy to boy, her laughter ringing out like a choir of bells.

The song ended and the group collapsed in a heap of limbs.

"We didn't get presents!" Peter pouted. "Hermione doesn't have presents!" Hermione reached across James to pat Peter on the head.

"S'okay, Petey. I don't need any gifts."

"Everybody needs gifts on their birthday."

"I got my Marauders. S'all I need." Hermione felt the boys shifting around her. She opened her eyes and suddenly James was there an inch from her face.

"Not good enough, Granger!"

"Wha–" James silenced her with a sloppy kiss on the lips. James pulled away laughing at Hermione's shocked face.

"Kiss for good fortune, Pup!"

"What!?" She sat up, eyes narrowing at James. James feigned fear for a second before attacking Hermione with his fingers.

She screamed and shouted amidst laughter as James tickled her. Her limbs lashed out catching various Marauders before a lucky kick managed to knock James onto his back.

"Air! I need air!" Hermione pushed herself away from the Marauders and ran outside. Remus watched her stumble out the door and followed her.

She was standing there in front of him, her hair loose in the breeze from rolling around on the floor and dancing. She looked wild. Remus approached her slowly like she was truly a wild animal and stood beside her in silence.

"You know, they say it's the most haunted building in Britain."

"Oh really, and why's that?" Remus chuckled. Hermione's voice dropped to a whisper.

"They say a monster lives here. A monster more terrifying and dangerous than anything you've ever seen." She smirked at Remus. "But they're wrong you know."

"Huh, are they? So there's not a monster here?"

"Nope." She winked. "There's two!"

Hermione tilted her head back and looked up at the sky. The stars were scattered across the sky like freckles. She took a deep breath and howled. And when she finished she looked back at Remus with the biggest grim he'd ever seen. She nudged him before throwing her arms out wide and howling again. And this time Remus joined her. Hermione felt a shiver climb her arm as the wolf in her recognized Remus.

The two werewolves stood there in the light of the waning gibbous. Remus was sure his voice would be hoarse the next day.

"Padfoot, Wormtail, are you seeing this? There's two werewolves on the loose out here!"

The door to the shack burst open with a slam and a third howl echoes into the night. Only this one was a little more real. Hermione spun around and dropped to her knees as Padfoot came barreling over. She laughed and scratched him behind the ears.

"Remus, look! A puppy! Oh can we keep it?" Hermione and Padfoot turned to look at Remus with identical puppy dog eyes. Remus rolled his eyes.

Hermione laughed and rose to her feet. Padfoot nipped at her ankles. The two chased each other around the shack, running around and into the other Marauders. Hermione jumped behind a corner of the shack and fell quickly to her hands and knees. Padfoot skidded to a halt just in front of her.

Forehead to forehead, Padfoot and Hermione faced off. Padfoot was panting slightly. Hermione growled playfully. She pressed her forehead into Padfoot and closed her eyes. Padfoot pushed back, making Hermione sit back on her heels.

But suddenly Padfoot was gone. Sirius shifted out of his Animagus form without so much as a whisper. He dropped his head and captured Hermione's lips with his own. Hermione's eyes shot open in shock.

It wasn't a very long kiss. It didn't last more than a few seconds, but in Hermione's slightly intoxicated state, it felt like minutes. Her eyes searched Sirius' face, but his eyes were closed. Hermione's brain was foggy, and she couldn't make sense of the situation. A wall fell somewhere inside her. She closed her eyes again.

But just as she let herself fall into the kiss, Sirius pulled back. Hermione opened her eyes, and for a moment she swore she was looking at the older Sirius.

"Kiss for good fortune, Pup." Sirius repeated James' words, but his tone was uniquely Sirius, part jovial part sincere. Hermione felt something stir in the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth to say something.

And then she vomited.

A/N: *Seize the Wine