Part 12
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The Marauders were strutting down the halls of Hogwarts, their laughter filling the silence and bouncing off the walls as Sirius told them of a night in which he was caught by the German Minister as he was peeling a rather complicated dress off his daughter, at one of the many infamous Ministry Balls that the Potter's hosted.
James threw his head back, his laughter loud and boisterous, "I still can't believe that you ran out of there with your pants off, and your shirt torn open. How the hell did he not hex you before you managed to lock yourself in one of the bathrooms? And where the hell was I?"
"Jamie boy, you were busy sulking because that was during time in which Lily Evans despised your entire being, and sent you a rather nasty Howler when you attempted to invite her to that ball. Although, I'm surprised you missed it my friend, that man was loud, and I'm pretty sure he called me a manwhore in German, but the specifics are not important." Sirius muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly, a grin overtaking his face as his friends fell apart with laughter once again.
"You never cease to amaze me Padfoot, truly. I have never met someone as…special as you are." Remus teased, a smirk on his face as they continued to make their way to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Oh shut it Moony, remember that one time we caught you in a rather compromising position in the Astronomy Tower. I do recall your hands were up Evelyn Michelson's skirt, and from what my poor memory can remember, her hands were also down your pants." Remus blushed furiously as his three friends were now back to laughing, however this time it was at him.
"You do know that it wasn't in my control. The wolf loses it around that time, and for some reason boobs become a rather fascinating piece of human anatomy." Remus muttered, as he glared at Sirius who only smiled innocently.
"Next time your wolf decides it wants a good ol' shag, how about you take the Marauder map with you. And to think you were the smart one in this group." Sirius continued to tease his friend, and James only nodded his head in agreement.
"You should know how we are by now Moony mate, how could you think we wouldn't follow you when you just left dinner so quickly, with Evelyn in tow. You clearly overestimated our ability to respect your privacy." James threw a wicked smirk at Remus, who could only shake his head and laugh at his idiotic companions.
"James!" a voice called from behind them, and James turned with a soft smile on his face as he turned to face Lily, her steps quickening as she made her way towards her boyfriend, a similar smile gracing her pale face. Her eyes seemed brighter, with the sun hitting her hair in just the right way that it seemed she was a Goddess. James sometimes wondered how it took him six years to finally get her to believe he did truly like her, and that the chase and the ignorant, prick-like behavior was just him lashing out when the feelings got too much to handle.
"Hello handsome" she greeted, her lips caressing his, and he could hear his friends gagging behind him, as he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her waist, and as they pulled apart he quickly placed a kiss on her forehead, before resting his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace.
"You two are sickeningly in love, its gag-worthy. Honestly, get a room." Sirius whined, his face scrunched up in disgust and Lily threw a playful glare in his direction, her hands coming out to shove him playfully and he only smiled at her, his eyes bright with humor.
"Dammit Lily, you can't just run ahead of us like that. You know that physical exertion is not something I plan on going through until absolutely necessary, say like when I battle Voldemort. Until then, refrain from skipping down the halls when you spot this bespectacled idiot, and his idiot friends." Marlene McKinnon huffed, her hands on her hips, and her breathing labored as Mary and Dorcas walked up behind her, amused smirks on both their faces.
"Lovely seeing you too McKinnon, honestly." Sirius drawled, and she quickly flipped him off, as she shook her golden locks out of her face, straightening her back and smiling at her friends.
"Well, are we planning on going to lunch? Because I don't know about you, but all that skipping has really built an appetite in here." Marlene broke the silence, rubbing her stomach, and the group burst into laughter as her stomach rumbled rather loudly, and she could only blush.
"Merlin Marley, what is living in there?" Dorcas exclaimed, and the group of friends could only laugh some more, but their laughter was cut short when a short distance away, a broom closet opened and to their shock, surprise, anger and disgust, out stumbled none other then Hermione Black, and following closely behind her was Theodore Nott. Their backs were to the group, but Hermione was running a hand through her hair, turning to face Theo, she dragged her thumb along her bottom lip, her hands trying to adjust her skirt, and Theo tucked his shirt in, his hair disheveled and even from where they stood, it was clear that his lips were a blood-red, bruised from what they could assume was a rather intense snogging-session.
"You never cease to amaze me Ms. Black." Theo spoke, his voice clear, and the couple had yet to notice the gaping group, everyone's jaws dropped, and Remus specifically felt anger boil in his veins as he watched Hermione give a sly, sexy smirk to Theo, her hands playing with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Glad to be of service, darling." She spoke, her voice low and sensual that Sirius almost threw up right then and there; she was his little cousin, his little sister for fucksake. Since when did a fifteen-year old have the ability to become so sexually active?
Although he did recall he lost his virginity a fourteen but that was beside the point.
He coughed rather loudly, and that was when Hermione and Theo whirled around, both shocked to see the rather large group of friends just staring back at them, shock being the main emotion filtering the air.
"Well…I think I'm going to head on over to lunch, I'll see you later Mione." Theo spoke, kissing Hermione on the cheek, and letting go of her hand as he walked into the Great Hall, and all she could do was nod, as she was now left alone to stare back into the faces of not only her cousin, but the best friends that she had known since she was eleven-years old, and oh dear Godric, they just saw her fall out of a broom closet. This can't end well, not even close to being an okay situation.
"Hello." She hesitated, her hand coming up to wave at them, and she realized how awkward this must be, so she stepped forward, toward them since they suddenly seemed so far away.
"Hello? Hermione, I'm not sure if you're aware, but we all just witnessed you exit a broom closet, after what was clearly an intense snog-session, or more, that's something I'd personally not care to know about. And all you could say is…is, hello?!" Sirius exclaimed incredulously.
"Oh Sirius, it's not as if you haven't found yourself in many a broom-closet over the entirety of your Hogwarts career. What's the issue here? Because it can't certainly be me coming out of a broom closet, that would only make you a hypocrite." Hermione grumbled, her eyes glaring at her cousin, and his shifted underneath her gaze, knowing that she was right, but refusing to back down.
"She does have a point." Dorcas mumbled, and they all turned to glare at her, excluding Hermione, and the other girls, technically it was only the Marauders who gave their friend a very well-practiced death stare, and she quickly clamped her lips.
"I mean… shame on you Hermione." Dorcas attempted to salvage the situation, but was caught off-guard when Hermione only gave her a small smile, shaking her head as she focused her eyes on her cousin and his best mates.
"Hermione, you're only fifteen! This can't be okay! Imagine what your father would say about this…this frolicking in bloom closets!" Sirius threw his hands up in the air, and Hermione could only raise a single brow, giving him an inquisitive look.
"Frolicking?" she instead chose to focus on his strange use of words, an amused lull in her tone.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice, but that is besides the point Hermione Lyra Black! Snogging in a broom closet? With a Nott of all people!" Sirius was seeing red, and just the image of his little cousin being groped by that oaf made him clench his fists, and his jaw tick in a rather painful way.
Everyone was rather quiet, but Remus was looking at Hermione in a way he'd never looked at her before. He was angry, and jealous. He was annoyed and peeved that Theodore Nott got to touch this beautiful girl in front of him, but he knew that if he lay a finger on Hermione, whether it be on accident or not, Sirius would castrate him, and nobody would stop him. He'd made it clear from day one, without even having to say a word, that Hermione was off-limits. It was an unspoken rule, and that inhibited the boys from going near her, and that was how James developed a similar protective role for the younger Black, regardless of their lack of relation. His fondness of Sirius Black, and his need to be there for his best friend in everything had provided him with this big brother role that Hermione did not need, nor want, but still got.
Hermione was about to say a few choice words of her own, but was interrupted when Regulus walked towards them, his brows furrowed in confusion, and his expression cautious as he approached the clear tense group.
"This seems like it could be the most awkward situation. Ever." Regulus spoke upon his arrival, standing next to Hermione and looking to her for answers.
"Oh dear brother, you would be happy to know that our Hermione just climbed out of a broom closet, adjusting that bloody skirt, after snogging the living shit out of Theodore Nott." Regulus turned to Hermione, his mouth wide, opening and closing like a fish.
She glared at Sirius.
"Not nice Sirius, not nice at all." She huffed, the whole situation embarrassing but equally humorous to her, and to the other four girls.
"Wh—what?" Regulus gulped, his face turning a pale and scary white, and Hermione had to stifle a snort.
"It was just a fucking snog! We all do it! I don't understand why it's so wrong that I did that, with my boyfriend, might I add. He isn't some random guy I just happened to pull into a broom closet, for quick shag. I'm not a slag." She spat, her eyes ablaze with anger and hurt at the judgmental looks on all their faces.
"Debatable" Remus muttered.
"Excuse me?" Hermione hissed, her eyes turning into slits.
"I said it was debatable, because slags usually are the ones who go in for a daily snogging session in the broom closets, and that's what you did. Or am I wrong?" he said coolly, his eyes also glaring at her and Hermione found herself shocked at the harshness that oozed from Remus's entire demeanor. He was always the nice one, always so caring when it came to her, and he never spoke to her in such a demeaning, and quite frankly, mean way.
"That's real nice Remus, I appreciate it, you calling me a slag. But last I remember, your tart of a girlfriend, Cheryl was it? Was rutting herself against you on our train ride back home, so I don't see how you calling me a slag is fair, seeing as you're one yourself, as is that twit of a girl you like to have around." Hermione's voice was low, and her fists were clenched, trying her best not to reach for her wand, and Remus's eyes softened at the obvious hurt in her eyes, but that was quickly gone the moment she put those barriers up, and her eyes become blank and void of any emotion, only anger and resentment.
"That was harsh Remus…" Lily spoke softly, her eyes turning to look at the ground, shifting from his gaze when he turned his glare to her.
"But we were all thinking it! I just said it." Remus muttered, his own fists were clenched.
"I don't take too kindly to people calling my sister a slag Lupin, so watch it." Regulus spoke icily, his hand grabbing at Hermione's clenched fist, quickly relaxing her, and allowing him to wrap his fingers around hers. She offered him a grateful smile.
"At least one family member is able to defend me. I'm so bored of this conversation, and I'd rather go sit with my boyfriend, perhaps later I'll allow him to show me a few more tricks with that skillful tongue of his. Now, excuse me." She spoke, her head raised high, and she turned around, her back towards them now, guilt on Sirius's face as he watched her walk away, Regulus's hand still holding onto hers tightly, regardless of the rather uncomfortable insinuation that Theo was going to be kissing her body, because that just left him feeling rather ill, and had him suffering from a loss of appetite, but he stood by her regardless.
Back in the hallway, James turned around to ask Remus what that was all about, but he found that his friend was already halfway down the hallway, turning down a corner and disappearing.
"So, lunch?" Marlene asked hopefully, and everyone just stared at her blankly.
"You are really a special person Marley." Dorcas snorted, before they headed to lunch, but Sirius found himself wondering when he became so distant to Hermione that she couldn't even talk to him about her personal life anymore, they were family, and yet it didn't feel that way anymore. But talk of a new prank on the Slytherin's brought him back to reality, and he spoke animatedly to Peter and James, but the nagging feeling in the back of his mind remained there for the rest of the day, and kept him awake all night.