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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Never jump to conclusions because you never know where you might land.

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Hogwarts - May 1st 1976

Library

Hermione hadn't been joking with Harry last month about her planning for the upcoming O.W.L's. SHe had spent the last two months with her nose in a book, just this past week Hermione had been forced to visit Madam Pomfrey twice for her stress and anxiety.

Luckily Lily and her had put their spat behind them in preference for studying together. Although there had been a great many apologies from Lily, including a box of sugar quills for her to nibble on while they studied.

The boys had become scarce knowing that if they made the wrong move around Hermione or Lily their brooms would most likely end up snapped in half. The girls had been prank free since they attempted switching Lily's ink with disappearing ink and she had unknowingly used if for an essay. All five boys had ended up with a shock at her displeasure.

Lily and Hermione were currently scribing notes down hastily from their spot outside by the lake. Other's would come and go as they studied and finished, Severus was their most consistent study partner. Although even he took a break every now and then.

Lucius and Rabastan would often study with the girls in the Library, while they were studying for their NEWTS.

Galen while not studying for a final would come to keep them company while working on his classwork. He always managed a small smile from the girls as he presented them with their flowers.

James was standing in the doorway of the school with Remus as he watched the girls writing notes completely unaware of their surroundings. Remus while standing with him had his nose in his charms book as he finished re-reading the chapter for the fourth time. "James, I really need to go study somewhere where I can sit and take notes. Why are we even standing here?"

James glanced at his friend, "I am watching over Lily flower and my… Hermione. Of course."

Sighing Remus put his book away, "You still think she is your sister don't you? James, just talk to your dad. You know he will help you see reason."

His ebony haired friend rolled his eyes as his gaze once again found the girls, "Either way it will make him feel horrible. Either he will be caught, or I don't trust him."

Remus just looked at Hermione, "Well you don't. You truly believe that she and Harry around your siblings don't you?"

When James didn't answer him Remus flipped through the pages of his charms book again, "There is a NEWT level charm in here James, basically it will tell you you're apart of a blood line relation. It is varying, but basically if you are an immediate family member of someone, you will glow green. Distant relation would yield a yellow color. So if you do the charm on Harry or Hermione it should tell you if they are immediate or distant relation."

James just grinned widely as Remus began to regret giving him the information, "Remus you are brilliant my friend, what is the charm?"

The two hurried off to their dorm to figure out the best way to do the charm. Leaving Hermione and Lily to study without being watched even if they hadn't know that they had been.

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James was planning on casting the charm on himself and Harry after dinner once they were in their dorm after practice since the book had said the two would glow for about ten minutes.

He was practically jumping on his bed from his nerves, he knew the charm would at least turn them a faint yellow as cousins, but he didn't know what he would do if it was any darker. As he watched Harry and Sirius clean up and strip their dirty practice clothing he pulled out the book and his wand.

Remus' eyes were watching him like a hawk as James looked up at Harry after reading the spell again, "James?"

Harry turned to find a wand pointed at him and froze, "James? What are you doing?"

James swallowed as he held up the book, "I am really sorry about this, but I need to know if we are brothers. Remus showed me this charm. It won't hurt, we will just glow a bit for a while."

Harry opened his mouth to object but James had already spoken, "Scoprire le relazioni!"

For a moment nothing happened and Harry looked down at his body in confusion. However after a moment he noticed a pale glow emanating from him as it steadily darkened to a yellow.

James looked on with a sigh of relief as the yellow continued to darken. However he sucked his breath back in when it didn't stop, it kept darkening to a pale green. After another minute both Harry and James were glowing bright green.

Harry was looking around the room confused, Sirius and Peter were confused while Remus was shocked as if expecting something else. Looking back to James, "Why did you turn us green James?"

Peter and Sirius would have chuckled at their green friends if it hadn't been for the tears welling in James' eyes. "He lied." Before he quickly locked himself in the boys loo.

Remus looked at Harry with wide eyes as he realized what it meant, "It was a relations charm. To tell how closely someone is related to you. Yellow means distant relative. That is what we thought would happen since you were supposedly cousins. Green means direct relation, like a parent or sibling…"

Sirius' sat down, "Merlin's sweaty sack, you really are James' brother."

Peter looked at Sirius, "And that mean Hermione is his sister. Right?"

Remus just nodded silently as Harry was internally panicking, this shouldn't have happened! How were they going to figure this out when they hadn't figured Mrs. Black out yet! They might have just ruined his grandparents life, at the very least the relationship with their son.

Grabbing his cloak he ran out the door not caring that he was glowing like a damn fairy, he needed to find their Aunt. Ignoring the questioning looks that he was receiving as he ran through the halls on his way to Minerva's private rooms.

Knocking loudly on the door non stop until it was opened, "Harry? For goodness sake boy, what happened to you? Inside now!"

He let his Aunt pull him inside, "James cast a spell. Yellow was distant family, green was direct relation. We are obviously green and he is freaking out! I know he has been questioning things lately, but I didn't think… he would do this!"

Minerva just looked at him wide eyed, "We will need to speak with the Headmaster. He is not here at present though. Go back to your dorm and keep young Mr. Potter there. Tell him I am writing his father to discuss the issue and see what may be the problem."

Harry nodded his head, "Hermione wasn't back in our dorm yet either. She and Lily have been studying like crazy."

Nodding her head, "I will find your sister. Go back to James now though."

Harry nodded and ran back hoping that everything would be over soon. Once he got back into his room he noticed the door to the loo was open, and everyone was gone.

Turning he ran from the room once more, "Mione…" He knew that James would be tracking her down next. He had passed the Library on his way to and from his Aunt's rooms so he knew she wasn't there. Remembering her spot by the lake with Lily he ran faster.

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Standing in the same door way that he and Remus had been in earlier as he watched Hermione and Lily still studying. That was his little sister.

James glanced briefly at Sirius growling at him, "I may have to break your nose later for treating my little sister so poorly. I can't believe Harry hasn't done it more than the one time after the Yule Ball."

Sirius looked at his friend with widened eyes, "You know…"

James just glared at him cutting him off ending what he knew was going to be another speech on being mean to keep her safe, "You can find new friends if it keeps up."

"What is he doing?" Peter squeaked out.

James and Sirius stopped their bickering as they heard Peter and looked up to see Galen Avery creeping up behind Hermione with his wand out and pointed in the girl's direction. Neither Hermione or Lily who was facing the approaching Slytherin had noticed him.

James, Sirius and Peter all pulled out their wands unaware of the friendship between the three, or the fact that he always without fail surprised them with flowers.

James took off running pointing his wand at the Slytherin, "Expelliarmus!" Followed quickly by another spell to send the Slytherin flying into a tree with a hard crack before he slumped to the ground.

Hearing the girls scream James's head snapped in their direction, but before he could ask if they were alright they had jumped up knocking over all their books and spilling the ink in their haste to run to Galen's side.

The boys were both in shock seeing the girls panicking over the slytherin. "What is going on?"

Hermione's head all but completely turned to where her head almost looked as if it was on backwards as she yelled at him. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING JAMES POTTER? YOU HURT HIM!"

James put his hands up in defense, "He had his wand drawn at your backs! He was going to attack you!"

Lily stared at the trio in disgust as she tried helping the groaning man from the ground, "He was picking us flowers you utter toerag! You know being nice! Not everyone hexes another house without provocation!"

James just looked at her as if he'd never seen her before as Remus and Harry came running over to them, Remus had gone off to find Harry after James decided to locate Hermione and tell her everything.

Remus stopped seeing Galen groaning in pain while the girls alternated between fussing over him and yelling at James.

Sighing he walked over and helped Hermione who was miserably failing at getting Galen off the ground. James and the others looked at him like he was crazy, "I've studied with them on occasion, Galen is a friend to them."

He looked at Hermione while holding Galen against his side, "Come on, I'll help you get him to Poppy."

Hermione smiled at Remus as Lily ran back to get their things along with Harry. Lily calling out over her shoulder, "We will meet you there!"

Ignoring James, Sirius and Peter as they slowly levitated Galen in front of them so he wouldn't be knocked about with what Hermione was fairly sure a concussion and a few broken ribs.

Once they got into the healer's ward Remus placed him on a bed and then walked back to find Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione looked down at Galen as she saw a bruise already forming on the temple of his head, "I am so sorry Galen."

He tried smirking, but it came out as more of a grimace. "It is alright, they were trying to protect you. I guess we should have seen it coming, I am a slytherin after all."

Hermione huffed as she sat upright, "If they actually studied more they would have met you before like Remus had! They went off all half cocked and came up at the wrong conclusion."

Galen grimaced at her high pitched rant but looked at her as if thinking of how he was going to phrase something.

Hermione saw the look and raised a brow, "Just ask whatever is on your mind, I am hardly in the mood for word games." Rubbing the back of his hand with hers to try and sooth his pain.

Galen nodded in acceptance, "Does this mean you are accepting me in a courtship? Since you are at my side and not Sirius Black's? May I begin courting you publically?"

Hermione sat straight as an arrow for a moment as she slowly slid her hand from his and sat both hands clasped in her lap cautiously. Her mind buzzed with the realization at what he was saying. "What do you mean Galen?"

Galen looked confused at her withdrawing from, "My marriage request for you of course. Did your Uncle not inform you of it? Most tell about the requests immediately, and since you knew of Sirius' request..."

Her eyes widened as Galen revealed what he knew while he struggled to sit up, "It is common knowledge in the Pureblood circles that Sirius placed a Marriage request for you over the summer hols, it is horrible how he treats you by the way. My father looked into it and found a document claiming that your Grandfather was actually from a pureblood line, he owled me to inform me to sign the request. You are beautiful, smart, and pureblood why would I refuse such a chance?"

Hermione stood quickly backing away from his cot as he continued staring at her. "Not to place myself at an disadvantage, but I am not the only one you know. I won't tell you their names since that is their choice and you obviously are in the dark on the subject, but I know you have more requests that just Sirius' and mine. 'Mione we could be good together, your brilliance and my cunning, our children would be pureblood elite. You have more choices."

Holding his hand out to her as she continued to back away, "Hermione please come back over here."

Shaking her head no as she cradled her head in her hands as the beginnings of a migraine were coming upon her, "You lied to me Galen."

Dropping his hand to the bed, an impassive look on his face now as she was retreating from him, "I never lied. Your Aunt and Uncle lied to you by not informing you. I spent time with you, got to know you. Helped you with subjects and was helped in others by you."

She couldn't take it anymore and fled from the room as a confused Remus returned with a exasperated Madam Pomfrey.

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So that didn't go so well…. Please review.