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: Another short one, I apologize, especially after missing a week. Let me see how much writing I get done tonight and I'll see if I can post another chapter.

Also, I swear one of these days we'll have some happy times for the Black brothers...

Chapter 44: Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum*

DEATH EATER TERROR CONTINUES WITH HOME INVASION

Aurors responded to the home of Ministry employee Desdemon Flynn in the early hours of the morning. Flynn lived with his wife and two children in a Muggle suburb. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was alerted to the attack when the Muggle authorities received multiple reportings of a strange cloud formation in the sky. The formation was later authenticated as the Dark Mark, the sign found at other sites of recent dark magic activity.

…

St. Mungo's Hospital emergency staff pronounced Flynn's wife and children dead at the scene. Flynn was taken to St. Mungo's, but Healers were unable to revive him due to extensive injuries.

…

Auror Alastor Moody was overheard speaking with fellow Auror Leif Folium. "This place is a mess. We'll need to get a professional team in here just to get the blood off the walls. Hey, you! Get out of here! No reporters! You want to hear about a murder scene? I'll show you a murder scene!"

…

Desdemon Flynn worked as an Unspeakable within the Ministry's Department of Mysteries. Although his work within the department remains classified, sources within the Ministry say there is a possibility that Flynn was targeted for his research.

…

The funeral for the Flynn family will be held on Wednesday, 17 May. See page 7 for more details.

13 May 1978

The Great Hall

James set the paper back down in front of him. The pack's area of the Gryffindor table was quiet, digesting the news. Peter and Remus exchanged a glance saturated in dread and anxiety.

"We have to do something." James shoved the paper away from his plate. "This isn't stopping anytime soon. We have to fight."

Peter, Remus, and Hermione looked at each other in apprehension. Sirius seethed in his seat.

"Those bloody Death Eaters," he spat. "And you know who was there, don't you? My fucking brother."

"Sirius!" Hermione gasped.

"Mate, calm down."

"Well he wasn't here, was he?" Sirius ran his hand through his hair. His eyes were shadowed, and Hermione's mind jumped to his future wanted poster. "Didn't see him at any meals, did we?"

"That doesn't mean anything," Remus tried to reason.

"C'mon, don't be naïve. You've heard the initiation stories. Soon as a baby Death Eater comes of age, he's taken out to take someone out. Murder! My brother's a bloody murderer."

Several other students glanced their way at the outburst. James grabbed a hold of Sirius' arm. The Marauders tried their best to calm him down. Hermione just sat in shock. Sirius opened his mouth to speak again when a shadow descended on the table.

"Ah, I see we've chosen the toast soldiers for today, Mr. Black. Excellent choice." The pack all turned to look up at Dumbledore. Sirius shut his mouth.

"Sir," James spoke up, drawing Dumbledore's attention. "It's just, these attacks. There must be something we can do."

"My dear boy," Dumbledore chuckled. "Surely you're not asking me to put children on the front line?"

Hermione choked on her tea.

"We're not children," James protested, then flushed at his juvenile tone.

"As long as you all remain students at Hogwarts, I cannot condone your involvement in the upcoming war before you've graduated." His eyes twinkled. "Although as Seventh Years, you stand on the precipice of adulthood…" His voice trailed off, and his eyes wandered. The Marauders leaned in closer to the Headmaster. Peter jumped as Dumbledore snapped back into the moment.

"We will be announcing the lineup of guest speakers in the coming days. They will be giving talks about their chosen professions to help those of you who remain undecided." He stared down his half-moon spectacles at James. "Perhaps you all will find these enlightening."

And with that, the old wizard walked away.

"I swear," Peter said. "I can never tell if he's barmy or brilliant."

"Both," said Remus. "Definitely both."

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall banged open. Regulus Black walked in. The pack quieted.

Hermione's brow furrowed as she got a good look at him. His eyes were bloodshot and laden down with heavy bags. His usually pale skin had taken on a deathly tinge. His movements were tight and awkward as he made his way down between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables.

Sirius dropped his fork, letting it clash against his plate. Regulus looked over at the Gryffindor table. Sirius met his eyes and sneered. As Regulus passed his brother, Sirius turned away from him, muttering Latin under his breath.

"Si vis pacem, para bellum."

Regulus stumbled.

The Room of Requirement

Hermione took a deep breath before pushing open the door to the Room of Requirement, praying Regulus would be inside.

It was not the library this time. The room she stood in was distinctly different. It was Regulus' room at Grimmauld place, and he was hunched over, kneeling beside his untouched bed.

"Regulus?" She whispered, her heart breaking as she watched silent sobs wrack his body. Hermione thought for a second on how to comfort him. A trip to Hagrid's wouldn't do. A glass of firewhisky wouldn't do. Instead she gathered him up and helped him move onto the bed.

She climbed on beside him and sat against the headboard, pulling his head onto her lap. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered how Regulus managed to deal with the stress of his disillusionment. She moved her hand up to stroke his hair.

They sat there without talking. The only sounds in the room were the muffled ticking of the clock on the wall and their breathing, Regulus' noticeably shakier. After a couple of minutes, he spoke.

"I can't." It was whispered and breathy. And by the hoarseness of his voice, Hermione could tell he had been screaming. "I can't stop seeing it. I can't. I can't."

"Shh, shh," Hermione hushed as she continued to comb her fingers through his raven locks.

"I didn't want to. I didn't want to." Regulus started to chant. "I didn't want to, but they made me. I had to. I had to. I had to. They would have killed me."

"I know, I know. It's okay. You're okay. You're okay, Regulus."

"How can you touch me?" Disgust dripped from his jaw. "I'm a monster."

"I told you, Regulus. I'm still here." Her eyes prickled. "And I've told you before. You're worth fighting for."

Another round of sobs shook his body. Hermione never stopped stroking his hair as she began to whisper softly to him.

She talked about how thankful she was that he was the one who found her, how kind he was for being her friend, how compassionate he was for helping her in the days leading up to the full moon. She talks about how brave he was—oh, so brave—realizing his mistake and being able to admit it to her, how brave he was because he kept going back, knowing he was putting himself in danger.

She talked about how much she cared for him, how she swore to always be there to listen and comfort him, how she swore she would always protect him.

Regulus just cried.

A/N: *If You Want Peace, Prepare for War