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.

A/N: Alright, here's 4/4. I have to say I really appreciate all of your kind words, so thank you. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Chapter 31: Ego Salvum Te*

It had been a bit strange, in truth, resettling in Gryffindor Tower. The whole of Hogwarts noticed the difference in the Marauders. They were somehow even more inseparable than when they had left, and whenever the Marauders were around, Lily and Hermione were not far behind.

Letting the boys have their space, Lily and Hermione struck up an odd sort of closeness. The two had obviously been friendly before the holidays, but something new was developing between them. They shared looks of concern and worry for their boys and operated on the same understanding on what they needed. The two witches respected each other and grew to genuinely care for one another through their attention to the boys.

And if the relationship growing between Hermione and Lily was strong, it was nothing compared to what was occurring between Lily and James.

It had started off a bit slow, like these things usually do. The Marauders would be inseparable during the day, Peter and Remus acting as shields for their brothers. Upon returning to the common room, James would sulk off for an hour alone before returning to the pack. Each afternoon he would retire to sit on the floor by the far window, leaning on Lily's chair. Lily would sit, legs thrown over an arm of the chair, reading a book.

The first time he sat with her, Lily barely breathed for the entire hour. She could practically see each second passing by in slow motion. And when it was over, James got up and left without a word.

The second time he sat with her, Lily had been so engrossed in her new book that she barely registered the raven-haired boy sit down. It wasn't until she let a hand drop and felt her fingers graze his soft hair that she noticed. James didn't even make a sound as she let her fingers run through his messy locks. The hour seemed much shorter this time.

As the days drew on, James stayed silent and Lily grew a little bolder.

Then one afternoon as James sat down, Lily tapped him lightly on his shoulder. James slowly looked up at her.

"There's plenty of room on the chair if you want to sit with me." She didn't meet his eyes at first, and James hesitated before she looked up. He wasn't quite sure what to do. But when he looked in her eyes, when he looked in the emerald eyes he had memorized so long ago, he saw nothing but what he had always wanted to see in them. Without a word, James stood up and angled his body to lie in the chair beside Lily. His long legs hung over the chair awkwardly and the other arm was digging into his back, but he didn't care. He couldn't feel anything but the heat radiating off of Lily as she snuggled into his side before opening her book again.

The hour came and went. Sirius, Remus, and Peter entered the common room in a huff, worry flashed on their faces until their eyes rested on the pair asleep in the chair by the far window. James had moved his arm around Lily, her head and hand resting on his chest.

In the days that followed, James and Lily's hour grew and grew. Each afternoon the two left their friends with smiles on their faces to escape to the chair by the far window. James started to speak more and returned Lily's soft touches. They fell together like two lost halves. James started to lighten up, making Lily smile and laugh, and she brought him back to the land of the young.

No one spoke of it directly or dared to define what they saw, but it was clear for all to see, as clear as Lily's eyes when she looked at James when she let him truly kiss her for the first time in that chair by the far window. James and Lily were together and they would never be apart again.

17 January 1978

The Library

Hermione felt guilt wash over her as she entered the library. In consequence of her increased attention to the Marauders, she had let Regulus slip through her fingers. She hadn't seen him since they returned to Hogwarts except from a distance slipping through the corridors. Until this Tuesday, she had somehow been predisposed every afternoon and had been unable to run away to the library to see him. This time, when she walked through the threshold of the familiar library, she felt nervous.

Regulus was sitting at their table like always, and as Hermione approached, she let out a breath. As she walked closer, Hermione could see Regulus had pushed aside his textbooks and had pulled out some spare parchment to sketch. She smiled to herself, tiptoeing up to him to peek over his shoulder.

It was dark. Smudges covered the white space of the parchment. His sketches were heavy handed and black and sharp and cruel. Owls and wolves and snakes twisted and broke into demons. There were horns and eyes pitch black and mouths thrown open in anguish. Hermione felt her chest tighten.

"Regulus."

It was a whisper and a plea and an apology.

Regulus flinched at the sound of his name and hesitated before turning around. In that moment that his eyes met hers, Hermione decided something.

His hair was limp and dry, no longer the rich black of fresh ink. He looked faded. His skin was pale and translucent. His eyes were tired and red and almost sunken. Hermione's mind flashed to Draco Malfoy's appearance in the days before Professor Dumbledore's death. In that moment that his eyes met hers, Hermione knew exactly what was happening to Regulus. It was a subconscious decision, what she decided in that moment, and she wouldn't realize its consequences until years later.

She slipped silently into the seat across from him. Her arms itched to reach out and take his hand, but Hermione resisted, knowing that he would only start at her touch.

"I'm sorry." It was a shitty apology, but it was all she could say.

Regulus' hand stilled and he put his quill to the side, looking her in the eyes. He didn't look upset or jealous or angry with her. He looked tired and sad as his shoulders shrugged with defeat.

"He loved her. He needed you with him."

"But–" Hermione's whisper grew even softer. "You need me, too."

Regulus' lips created a fraction of a smile.

"Not as much as him. He needs someone to take care of him."

Hermione averted her eyes. They sat in silence, neither moving an inch, before she spoke again.

"Does anyone take care of you, Regulus?"

Silence.

"Regulus, are you okay?"

Regulus' mouth formed that sad smile again.

"I'll be okay, Hermione. There's no need for you to worry about someone like me."

Hermione's heart broke at his words. She chose her words carefully before speaking again.

"I'm not going to pretend like I know or understand what you're going through, but I have an idea. I'm not here to lecture you or judge you or interrogate you. I just—I just want you to know…"

Hermione looked him straight in the eyes, stunning Regulus with the strength they held, and reached out to hold his hand.

"I'm here, Regulus. I will always be here for you."

Regulus was speechless. He blinked at the girl before him as she seemed to remember herself. He watched pink roses bloom on her cheeks and wished he could draw them instead of the skulls and snakes that plagued his mind. Hermione picked her bag up from the floor and held it in her lap as she looked back at Regulus. Neither spoke, and seconds later Hermione Granger left the library.

A/N: *I Will Save You