Historically, and futuristically, potions with the Slytherins was never ever a good time. It was even worse when all of the Gryffindors were hungover. Hermione had been in the class a few times with Professor Slughorn and he was just as … eccentric in this time as he was in hers. Though now, he seemed to be obsessed with making connections with the right people and setting his students up with high positions. Sleazy even.

"Good morning, class," Professor Slughorn said with gusto and a secret smile. "Today we will be brewing something difficult. This potion is so challenging in fact, you will be working in partners!"

The class groaned – not because they would be working with partners but they didn't need something difficult today. James had his head on his desk and Hermione was pretty sure Sirius was puking into his cauldron. Lily was rubbing circles on Marlene's back.

"Now! Can anyone guess what it is? It will be ideally a soft lilac color until turning clear." Nobody was inclined to raise their hand though Hermione knew and she was absolutely sure that Snape, Lily, and Remus did too. She looked over at him and he caught her gaze, rolling his eyes dramatically at their professor. Things between them had been a little awkward at breakfast but he tried really hard to dispel that – knocking her shoulder lightly with his and throwing her a grin as they walked down to the dungeon.

Hermione could tell he was starting to feel poorly though. The full moon was this week and like his older self, he would constantly crack his neck and roll his shoulders. It was as if he was uncomfortable in his own skin. At seventeen he was much better at making it look like he was just antsy.

"Nobody?" Professor Slughorn said with disappointment. "I'm surprised. Well, how about a little incentive. The pair who brews the potion on page 546 will receive a small vial of felix felicis! The name of your partners will be on the tables!" With a wave of his wand, everyone's supplies rearranged themselves on different stations. Not even a bottle of liquid luck was enough to save them from their fate.

With lots of grumbles and shoves, the few students who were able to advance to NEWT level potions moved around to find their things. Sirius debated just ending it all and jumping off the astronomy tower when he saw that he was paired with Mulciber, one of Malfoy's lackeys. James, who was paired with a rather clingy and flirty Ravenclaw girl, was murderous as he watched Lily slide, albeit unwillingly, into the seat next to Snape.

Hermione and her partner made it to their station at the same time.

"Oh, hey honey." Remus was smiling at her all boyish and charming. Hermione's hand was clammy like he had just let go of it. She counted off the Horcruxes and their locations to get a hold of herself while she looked down at her book.

Draught of Living Death.

Amateurs.

"Looks like we might get lucky after all," Hermione said knowing she could brew this in her sleep. She immediately started blushing. Honestly, it was like she had left the war and turned into some kind of bumbling idiot.

"She wants you Moony!" Sirius, even close to death, just couldn't help himself. Hermione thunked her head on the table.

"Just let me take the potion and end it." Remus just laughed at her and rubbed her back, giving her goosebumps all over.

Diary, locket, cup, snake, ring, diadem, Harry.

"I'm not quite ready for you to go just yet," Remus told her in her ear.

Malfoy manor, cave, vault, Voldemort, house, room, Lily.

Hermione chose not to respond and started gathering the supplies. She noticed that Lily and Snape, though sitting on opposite ends of their bench were extremely far along, working silently. So far it looked flawless. Remus was getting to work on getting their ingredients together while she started getting their cauldron up to temperature. They worked in silence for awhile until Hermione was surprised to hear Remus cursing under his breath.

"These motherfu-" Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. He was trying to cut the sophorous beans unsuccessfully to release the juice inside. She grinned and took the knife from him.

"Before you stab yourself," she said gently. He was nearly sweating, trying to contain his anger. She laughed quietly and channeling Harry, crushed the stupid bean with the flat part of his knife. The juice squirted out with such force it sprayed Mulciber behind them. Sirius laughed so hard he fell off his stool but Remus squinted his eyes at her.

"How did you know to do that?" Hermione shrugged and got back to what she was doing, a small smile playing on her lips.

"You have your secrets Marauder, I have mine." He nodded and got back to his half of the work. Hermione didn't notice that there was another person who didn't miss the exchange. Severus Snape had watched her with narrowed eyes. She was brewing the potion with all of the same tricks that were in the margins his textbook. It was so distracting that he stirred it one too many times. It wasn't enough to ruin the potion but it was enough to change it from nearly transparent lilac to purple.

"Keep it together, Snape," Lily said through gritted teeth. Snape ignored her and tried not to let his broken heart bleed all over the table.

Hermione and Remus worked on their potion with a teamwork that she hadn't been able to find in her time because nobody could keep up with her. Harry and Ron weren't patient enough and none of the other people in other houses were either smart enough or willing to try to get close to her.

He took her improvements to the potions in stride, not questioning it either because he was getting more tired the closer the moon got or because they were working. Hermione added a clockwise stir and his eyebrows flew into his blonde hair. Their potion turned as clear as water.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" she said. He nodded and watched her satisfied face for just a second. Her brown eyes were wide and bright, curls just a little bit wild from the humidity in the room. He was the only other person he knew who got so excited about school. His heart melted just a little bit.

"Yeah," he answered. She turned a smile on him.

He was a goner.

Hermione didn't know what had changed right then but she felt like there was probably something on her face. Remus looked like someone had just punched him in the mouth. She had only seen that look on Ron's face before and honestly, it wasn't really becoming on someone who was of Remus' intelligence.

"Are you okay?" That seemed to shake him out of whatever he had going on there.

"Yeah, shit, I'm good."

"Oho! What have we here?" Professor Slughorn's voice from behind them scared both of them. Hermione actually jumped an inch or two off her stool. "It's perfect! Heaven forbid any one of us takes this! A clear winner! Congratulations Miss Granger and Mister Lupin! A day of good luck to you."

A small smattering of applause from the Gryffindor's followed but Hermione was more concerned about Remus. He was cracking his neck again. She wanted to offer some kind of support or something … almost did, but then remembered that she wasn't supposed to know about his condition.

"What the hell, Snape!" The moment ended abruptly and ugly. All heads, especially three of the male Gryffindor variety snapped towards Lily. She was looking at Snape with fury on her face, covered in sloth brain.

"Don't talk to me," he spat at her but there was no venom in it. Hermione was looking back and forth between them trying to figure out what just happened.

"Maybe if you didn't fuck up our potion, you wouldn't have lost! You didn't need to make me look more oily than you!" Lily screamed back. Hermione's mouth dropped open and knew that it was only a matter of time. Remus was already out of his chair but James was halfway there.

"How dare you mudblood!"

Crack

James didn't need his wand. His fist connected with Snape's face so hard that blood sprayed Malfoy in the bench next to them. The look on his face was lethal. Snape didn't have time to recover before both of them were thrown magically across the room.

Sirius and Remus tried to come to James' aid but Slughorn had all of them stopped in their tracks.

"That is enough! Severus that is inappropriate language and Mister Potter, muggle dueling is beneath you." James' chest was heaving. Hermione looked at Remus and saw that his eyes were nearly black and in slits.

Snape spit some more blood onto the floor.

"Both of you, detention." James was too angry to argue. With a wave of his wand Lily was cleaned up. "Get your things together and go to your next lesson, now."

This was obviously something that had happened before. He let the Slytherins go first, releasing Snape and letting them gather their stuff. Once they were gone and safely out of the room he unbound the three Marauders. Lily was still wide eyed. Hermione got her own things together and then helped her friend.

"Lily," she said gently. Lily just shook her head and walked out into the hall. James and Remus followed, both too riled up to talk. Sirius wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders on the way out.

"Come on, I'll walk you to Transfiguration."