Title: Little Spark of Madness

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in anyway, that belongs to JK Rowlings. I don't make any money from this either. I just do it for fun :) All original characters are my own, those would be the ones that you don't recognize from the books.

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I am so absolutely, incredibly, extraordinarily, confused.

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Hogwarts Grounds - March 1976

Hermione and Lily were sitting out on the grounds with their potion books waiting for Severus and Galen to arrive for revising for the upcoming test the next day.

Lily was smiling at something over her shoulder, turning she saw a two dandelions hovering over her shoulder and a smiling Galen levitating it with his wand. "A pretty flower for your amazing tutoring skills ladies."

Hermione smiled as one stayed with Hermione while the other floated over to Lily. Taking her gift from the air smiling as Devon and Severus sat down beside them, "Thank you Galen."

Both girls opened their books, as the boys sat down next to them. The four of them opening their books and spending the afternoon looking over their notes and revising.

Lily looked up at Hermione smiling as she started putting her own books away, "See I told you I had someone who was really good at potions."

Hermione nodded as she stood up, "And that the boys probably wouldn't like who."

Lily nodded her head, "Usually we just study here or across the lake if the boys don't have quidditch practice to distract them, Galen always gives me a flower in thanks and Severus bring that brilliant brain of his. No one gets pranked either."

Hermione looked at Lily, "So Galen likes you? I mean giving you flowers and all?"

Lily giggled and shook her head, "No I am not his type, he is just a sweet snake. I think he is just a ladies man is all. I think he is actually worse that Sirius, especially lately." Lily raised an eyebrow at her friend. "What is going on with you guys anyways?"

Hermione sighed as she started to walk towards the lake with Lily at her side, "It is complicated." Sighing she knew that she was tired of not having another girl to talk to about what was happening and decided that Sirius be damned she needed Lily.

Sitting down on a rock at the water's edge as Lily sat next to her before she waved her wand as she cast a muffliato around them so no one could eavesdrop. "Promise you won't say anything to anyone. I want to tell you, but not even Sirius can know that you know. Please."

Lily looked her in the eye nodding her head, "I won't tell a soul, I've been worried about you."

Nodding her head, "Sirius' mother…. I don't know if you have heard about her, but she is a horrible woman. Very much a supporter of dark things if you get my point?"

Looking at Lily to make sure she understood before she continued, "Well I am sure you've seen Harry and James standing next to each other right?" Another nod from Lily allowing her to continue, "They look very similar and that woman noticed as well."

Lily frowned, "You guys are cousins right? You are part Potter I thought?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, our grandmother was a Potter, She was James' paternal Grandfather's sister. However Walburga Black has it in her mind that Harry and James, even myself to a more feminine extent look too much like Potter's to be that distantly related."

Lily shook her head, "That doesn't make sense, there is a picture of my great great grandmother and I look almost identical to her as well. But we aren't that closely related."

Hermione nodded with a grateful look on her face, "You know that the Pureblood lines marry within family right? To preserve their bloodlines?"

Lily got a disgusted look on her face, but still nodded her head, "It is disgusting, but yes I know."

Hermione sighed running her sweaty palm over her skirt to dry it, "She thinks that James' father and Harry and my mother cheated on their spouses. Cousins. Which would not be out of the normal for the Black family. She thinks that Harry and I are actually Mr. Potter's bastards. Which would make us purebloods."

She could clearly see the point where Lily's jaw dropped and she had stopped breathing. After a moment of statue like behavior Lily blinked, "That is horrible. What does it have to do with you and Sirius though? He doesn't think that? Does he?"

Shaking her head, "No, he knows Mr. Potter. The Potters are not like the more eccentric pureblood families. They are kind hearted, and would never marry cousins just to keep their lines pure. They really don't care about the whole pureblood side. Plus he truly loves James' mother so very much, you should see them together. I want that one day."

Lily smiled at her, but didn't say anything even though Hermione could see the question floating in her eyes.

Picking up a stone as she skipped it into black lake remembering when Ron had showed her how to do it, "She thinks she found me Lily. A pureblood girl who is not related to the Blacks in anyway. I am not though, I am a half blood. She doesn't believe it though."

Picking up another rock, "She has blackmailed my Aunt, myself, and the Potters. She forced Sirius to send me a marriage request, I won't see it until my 16th birthday since it went to my uncle on my behalf. If I agree to marry Sirius she will not reveal that Mr. Potter, however untrue, fathered Harry and myself. It would ruin his reputation Lily. He is a honest and good man, I can't do that to him. She will also make the McGonagall family receive pureblood status since Harry is the only one that would continue the name. My uncle and aunt have no heirs."

Sitting back down defeated, "It isn't even my choice though, my uncle will decide who I marry as he is the only of age male left. It is barbaric."

Lily nodded her head with a stern look, "It is. So you and Sirius are basically engaged then?"

Hermione scrunched her face up, "I wouldn't say engaged, but he has asked. My family just hasn't responded. Sirius doesn't like doing what his mother wants, so he is rebelling. Also his mother is wanting him to join you know who's followers. He is being mean to me so they don't think I mean anything to him. It still hurts though, he seems really good at being mean to me."

Lily's jaw dropped again, "He's protecting you…."

Nodding her head, "The Slytherins can't see him being nice to me. It still hurts though, but that is why sometimes he is nice to me, and then it is like a switch is flipped. He remembers what he is supposed to be doing."

Sighing Lily stood, "I think I get it now. I am sorry I kept pressuring you to… well I don't know punish him. He is already in hell it seems."

Hermione nodded, "Come on." Swishing her wand cancelling out the spell around them, "Let's head back to the castle for lunch. The boys will be done with Quidditch practice soon and they will eat everything.

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Practice had ended hours ago at the five boys were sitting in the shrieking shack.

Sirius was bouncing around the room on the old furniture as padfoot chasing Peter in his rat form. James and Remus were sitting across from Harry trying to get him to complete the change, "Harry you are so close, not five minutes ago your skin covered in a thick brown fur for a few seconds."

Harry just nodded as he listened to James as he closed his eyes again trying to remember himself running, no trotting, through the dark forest. He could feel all four of his legs moving together. He could feel the branches he was running through get tangled on his antlers and then tearing from the trees around him.

Suddenly he heard a gasp and opened his eyes to where James had once been.

Confused at not seeing him he looked around and then down seeing that he was much taller. Sirius and Peter both transformed back into their forms and were staring up at him as well.

Sirius was the first to speak up and come out of his daze, "Merlin's saggy bollocks Harry. Your a bloody Stag! Just like James! Maybe a few shades lighter. But you're damn near identical!"

Harry tried looking at himself the best he could, but not being used to his four legs and antlers all he managed was too fall down and break what he thought was a wooden chair.

Looking to James he saw a lost look in his eyes before the boy turned and left through the trapp door of the shrieking shack.

The others had called after him but he hadn't stopped.

Harry looked to Sirius and the others in panic, unsure of what happened with James or how to turn back.

Sirius just held his arms up to Harry, "Alright let's work on making you human again, damn we are going to need to find you another nickname. Moony be a dear and go find Prongs and see what just happened. Ya? Alright good."

Remus nodded his head and shuffled down the entrance as Sirius turned back to Harry, "How about Horny for your nickname mate?"

Harry shook his head and did his best to look affronted at that name. He was too worried about what was going through James' head to really care though.

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Remus had managed to catch up to James before he had gotten too far. "James? What is going on?"

James stopped but he didn't turn around to face Remus as he approached. He didn't say a word until his friend had walked around him to look at his tear streaked face. "James what is wrong?"

James just shook his shoulders as he pulled in a breath. "My dad really cheated on my mother didn't he?"

The sandy haired boy put a hand on his distraught friends shoulder. "James your father said he didn't. You guys just look similar, I mean the two of you have gotten as close as you and Pads. But you have the same reactions. Him being a stag doesn't mean…."

"IT MEANS WE ARE RELATED CLOSER THAN DISTANT COUSINS!" James exploded. "I have a half brother...and sister. Oh Godric, Hermione is my little sister. I should be watching out for her with Harry. Fuck Sirius is basically courting my sister… and being an arse to her."

Remus' eyes were having a difficult time staying in his sockets as he watched his friend go into a meltdown, unsure of how to answer him. He himself had been having doubts on whether or not Mr. Potter had been telling the truth about fathering the siblings. "James, just remember what you keep telling Harry about Sirius. He is a good guy and everything will be alright. You know he is trying to protect her as well."

James just sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't think I would care if I had a sister that was being courted, but now… it is like I need to watch out for her."

Remus nodded as he tugged on James' arm to walk with him towards the castle, "You've been a single child for almost 16 year James. Your birthday is this month, I don't know what I would do if I had a sister honestly."

James just sighed kicking his foot through a flower in the grass, "What should I do Moony?"

Remus swallowed, "Talk to Harry and Hermione. Since Harry can't talk right now, I would say go find Hermione."

"Bloody hell Harry is stuck in his form I should…" He had gripped his hair turning back towards the shack for a moment but Remus caught his arm.

Looking in confusion at his sandy haired friend as he shook his head, "Sirius has Harry, Peter is there too. You should go talk to the calmer of the two since you are already wound up."

James just nodded as he looked around, "Do you know where she might be?"

Remus just chuckled as he looked around, not seeing the two girls that he was searching for. "She was studying with Lily earlier, so maybe check the library? Or maybe the great hall since lunch started."

James nodded taking off in the direction of the Library leaving Remus to head back to the shack and explain what was going on.

Wandering through the halls he turned a corner quickly bumping into a smaller figure both of them tumbling a bit. However, thanks to James reflexes due to years of Quidditch he reached out steadying the girl which turned out to be Lily, before they both hit the floor. "Oh! Sorry, are you alright?"

At Lily's nod he mumbled, "Okay. Sorry again." before walking around her with something clearly on his mind.

Lily turned and watched his retreating back in confusion before wondering what prank he was up too.

Following him quickly she had to run a bit to keep up with his long strides that his height allowed him to take, "James? Are you alright?"

Nodding his head as he briefly walked into the library with Lily following closely, but Hermione wasn't there. Turning to leave he was stopped in his tracks by Lily who was directly behind him with a concerned look on her face. "James?"

It took James a moment to compose himself before he was able to speak, "I need to find Hermione. Do you know where she is?"

Lily nodded, "She went to the loo, I was meeting her in the great hall. Is something wrong?"

James nodded and then shook his head, "I don't know. I think she is my sister, I just need to talk to her."

Lily grabbed his arm pulling him out of the library, "Okay, so I know I am not supposed to know, but since you brought it up. Why do you think that? Hermione told me about the blackmail, but she said it was unfounded. She doesn't think it is true, so why do you?"

James paled for a moment as he realized Lily knew more that he had thought, "Harry… he keeps doing things, that are too similar to me. We have to be related closer than distant cousins. I mean… right?"

Lily felt her heart pang at the obvious confusion that was running through James, "I won't lie. I thought he was your brother when I first saw him, and since they are twins… But your father told you you were cousins right? I mean you don't think your dad would sleep with his first cousin?"

James sighed and ran both his hands through his hair as he gripped hard, "It isn't like in the muggle world Lily. If my father did, he would hardly be the first. My grandfather and grandmother were actually third cousins. My father and mother are technically sixth cousins I think. Basically if you are a pureblood you are going to be related to every other pureblood family somehow, unless you came from another country. First cousins are really close though, but for the Black's that is normal. Which is why Sirius' mum is grabbing hold of this stupid idea. I just don't know anymore."

Lily had to push away the nauseous feeling about inter family marrying to focus on the fact that James was completely lost. "I think you should talk with Harry and Hermione. When Hermione was talking to me she sounded pretty certain that you were not her brother. Maybe they have their dad's eyes or something? Proof that he is their dad somehow."

He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. "Your right, mind if I join you for lunch?"

Lily smiled and nodded her head, "Alright let's go. I am starved by the way."

James chuckled a bit as he walked beside her talking about everything to get his mind off of the questions running around.

Hermione nearly choked on her beef pie as she saw Lily and James walking in laughing together. Taking a quick drink of her tea as they sat down, "Well hello."

She smiled at them, but her face dropped seeing James turn serious as he looked at her almost as if searching for something.

Glancing to Lily after a moment of uncomfortable silence, "Did I do something wrong? You both seemed happy and I feel as if I am about to be interrogated?"

James' expression softened, "Sorry 'Mione. I just needed to know something. Do you have proof that your father is, well, your father?"

Hermione's jaw dropped as she placed her fork down on her plate, "James what happened? Why are you asking this after all this time. I thought we all agreed that Sirius' mother was insane."

He nodded as he grabbed a biscuit and picked at it with his hands. Lowering his voice, "I know we did, but Harry and I are basically identical. He just keeps doing things, unintentionally that I do. It is too close. I just can't help but think he is my brother, and that you are my little sister."

Hermione pushed her plate away from her and stood from her chair, "James we should talk alone I think. Sorry Lily, but we can talk later."

Lily just nodded as she grabbed a few items putting them in a cloth before handing it to James, "Don't forget to eat."

He took the food in shock before nodding his head, "Thank you Lils."

James and Hermione found an unused classroom, as they walked inside Hermione locked the door and sat in one of the old chairs, "So what would you like to know so we can put you at ease James?"

Hermione may have sounded calm, but inside she was a mess. She knew she didn't want to lie, she couldn't, not to James. "I don't know what to say other than my parents never even hinted to the fact that my father wasn't my father."

James nodded, "I know you and Harry were working on becoming animagus'. I already managed it, it was kind of a see how far we can do something. I transformed before Christmas for the first time. I am a stag. Harry just transformed for the first time, he is a stag too. It is just too much Hermione, too many coincidences. I mean are you going to be a Doe?"

Hermione's eyes were wide, "He transformed? Our Aunt is going to be livid that he was working on it without her. Why did you even try without help! Do you know how horrible that could have ended for you!" Seeing James' face she took a breath and got back on track, "I don't think I am a doe James, i've seen parts of my form and I don't think I am too large. I have fur, paws and claws, and I am rather fluffy. Doe's aren't fluffy."

James looked down in confusion, "Typically close family are of the same type on animals in the books."

Hermione nodded, "True, but I am not my brother. I like to read, and study. I am not as hard headed about things that are 'instinct' I go by facts." Sighing she pulled out a book that her Aunt had given her, "We are related to you James, so Harry being a stag isn't too far off. Beside you two have more in common than I do to either of you."

James just frowned as he looked at her and she knew that he wasn't convinced, "Hermione all McGonagall's are animagi right? Obviously our professor is a cat, what was your father?"

Hermione took a breath, "Badger. Why?"

James just shook his head, "I am not understanding this. I really do think that you're my sister still. There is too much... I need to talk to my father."

Hermione felt her stomach drop knowing that she had to do something, "James. My parents are gone, please don't do this. I know it isn't true what they are saying, I know that your father isn't mine. My father loved me so much, and yours loves you."

James looked at her his resolve breaking. Nodding his head, "For now, but anything else… I'll owl my father before I even talk with you. I won't tell you if he admits to anything, I won't hurt you like that. Although I can't promise I won't change the way I act around you, until I have proof that you are not my sister."

Hermione raised a brow at him, "What do you mean? How will you act around me?"

James shrugged, "Protective. I know you have Harry, but he isn't always around."

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms, "You are usually with him if he isn't around. You do realize that right?" Grabbing her bag, "I will not be babysat James, not by my brother, and not by my cousin. I am almost… 16 years old, I am not a child nor will I accept being treated like one. If you're so concerned, maybe you might have a better chance at getting Sirius to stop treating me like Hippogriff dung. I am tired of the glares, and the jabs from him. They make the few times he is nice to me tainted, like I can't trust them."

James nodded as he grabbed his own bag, "I'll try, but I am already trying. It is a nightly argument in our dorm. Harry blows up at Sirius over something he said or did to you, we all get into it and he promises to try harder."

Hermione looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Try harder, I just lost all of my notes from charms class because that pompous arse friend of yours charmed my note quill to repeat, 'I am a know-it-all.' Over and over all the way down my parchment. Thankfully Lily let me borrow hers!"

James swallowed as if he was the one being scolded, "I'll talk to him 'Mione. So you and Lily are getting to be close huh? Mind…"

Unlocking the door and opening it with a swish of her wand she jokingly scowled at him as she left the room, "Oh no you don't Potter, this was about you and me. We are not adding Lily." Flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking off down the hall towards the Gryffindor common room to get her books for next class.

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So Harry has transformed, but now there is a bit more tension.