A/N: This was supposed to be posted 3 weeks ago but it looks like I forgot? I'M SORRY! But this also means that you guys now get 2 updates in one day so woohoo? This is not proofread nor will the next chapter so there may be some mistakes. Nevertheless enjoy ^^

The matter about the amortentia was pushed to the back of her mind and daily life went on. Before anyone knew it, the gryffindors were gathered in the common room by none other than the marauders themselves.

"Listen up, everyone. As everyone knows our dear Remus just turned seventeen." Hermione gasped, she forgot. With everything that had happened over the past few months it must have slipped her mind. "– and just like any other year there will be a party next weekend to celebrate both birthdays. So look forward to it."

"Both birthdays?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, Remus and James were born in the same month, so ever since first year they choose a day to celebrate both birthdays at once," Alice replied.

The moment everyone went back to their own devices, Hermione made her way towards Remus.

"Remus," she said as she gave him a quick hug. "Happy birthday! I'm so sorry I didn't tell you on the day itself, it must have slipped my mind."

He chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it. And thanks." That is what he said but in the meantime his mind was racing already. Had he told her when his birthday was? He hadn't, right? Did someone else tell her? It wasn't that he was suspicious of her necessarily, but there was still something nagging in the back of his head, saying that some things didn't match up.

"What's going on here?" came Sirius' teasing voice.

"I'm just wishing Remus a happy birthday. Though I am a little late in doing so."

"Why didn't you congratulate me so enthusiastically when it was my birthday?" he asked, whining a little.

"I hardly knew you guys back then."

"And whose fault is that, huh?" He raised an eyebrow. She just sighed in response, knowing he was right. "I'm still hurt though, Mione."

"Why?"

"Because you didn't congratulate me properly." As he said it he wiped away a fake tear, his inner drama queen coming out.

"What do you expect me to do about it now? It's a little late for that, isn't it?" He just looked at her, a fake hurt look on his face, his lips sticking out in an overdone pout, puppy eyes in full on mode. She decided to play along. I mean, why not, right?

"Would it make it all better if I gave you a hug and congratulate you now?"

He just nodded and held out his arms. She laughed as she made her way from Remus to Sirius and gave him a hug, saying, "Happy very, very late birthday." Her voice the epitome of amusement, a laugh falling from her lips as she said it.

When she pulled back, she asked, "Better?"

He just gave her his best grin and said, "Much."

"You dork," she muttered as she rolled her eyes good-heartedly. "So? A party?"

"Yep, and it will be great."

"Alice told me you've done this since first year."

"True, we were thick as thieves only a few months after we started going to Hogwarts and since James and I share the same month, we decided to celebrate our birthdays halfway through it. It actually started as a silly thing from a few eleven-year-olds but we just kept it that way."

"And every year the party only turned more and more awesome," Sirius told her.

"Is that so?" she asked amused. Only getting a hum in response. "And how do they turn out to be so awesome?"

"First of all, we are there." He said it as if it was obvious, the most logical thing ever. "Second, butterbeer and snacks are amazing things."

"And how do you get butterbeer and snacks for so many people?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Tsk tsk, Mione. We're not about to spill our secrets. We pranksters have our ways to get things done, just leave it at that." He just gave her a wink, playful glint making his eyes shine. She knew though, how they did it. The marauders' map. Harry, Ron and her had used it often enough. But they didn't need to know that. Let them have their little 'secrets'.

"Right, what was I thinking?"

"I'm glad you understand." His smile wide.

And so the party came. The common room was packed, almost everyone from Gryffindor attending, taking any chance they got to party. And even though she knew how they got the snacks and butterbeer, she had no idea how they got such large amounts of everything. Well, she knew James and Sirius weren't exactly poor – because not everything could come from the kitchen – but just how had they managed to sneak such an amount back into Gryffindor tower without getting caught? She would almost start thinking that the Weasley twins really were descendants of the marauders. The resemblance was just too scary at times.

"It actually surprises me that you allow this, that you didn't try to stop them from having a party," the brunette told Lily later that evening. They were seated on a sofa. Most of the students had gone to their dorms, the first and second years too tired and the third and fourth years easily bored.

"I learnt some time ago when I can stop them, when I should try to stop them and when to just let them be." She shrugged.

"And this is such a time to just let them be?" Hermione asked in amusement.

"Exactly." They just laughed. Hermione knew what the redhead was talking about. There had been the Weasley twins, Harry and Ron, Ginny, the girls she had shared a room with. Yeah, she knew.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember when we made amortentia and that we thought we had made a mistake?"

"Yeah, but Slughorn explained why that happened, though? Why? Is something bothering you?"

"Well, it's not really bothering me per se but I keep thinking about that scent I couldn't name. Like I know I know it but it's too vague to place where I smelled it and it's a little frustrating. Doesn't it bother you? You also had that issue, right?"

"Yes. But to be honest, I haven't really thought about it since, so I can't really say if I'm bothered by it or not." A moment of silence. "I'm sure it's nothing important though. Just like Slughorn said, it happens all the time and preferences change. I wouldn't think about it too much."

"You're probably right."

"I always am," she said teasingly, a smile gracing her face.

"You've been hanging around the marauders too much. You're starting to talk like them," she replied with a grin of her own.

"Who's starting to talk like who?" They both jumped up in surprise, looking behind them, only to find Remus standing there.

"How do you do that? Where do you guys keep coming from?" Hermione asked. One – if not more – of the marauders almost always managed to just appear out of nowhere. It was the Weasley twins all over again. But seeing as the marauders were with four instead of two, it meant that you had to be twice as vigilant. "Almost gave me a heart attack."

"Bad conscience?" he asked teasingly. Yep, Remus was definitely a marauder. She just swatted his arm as he took a seat between them. "So, who is starting to talk like who?"

"I just told Hermione that she's starting to talk like you lot."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you should've heard her a second ago. It was like I was talking to Black."

"I was not that bad," Hermione interjected. The two girls had a small stare-down before laughing and leaving it alone. They gave each other one last look, as if having a silent conversation, before they turned their attention on Remus. Before he knew what was happening, the both of them had him wrapped in a hug as they wished him a happy birthday. He just burst out laughing, surprised, but pleasantly so. As they pulled back, he gave them a genuine and happy 'thank you'.

"Moony, how can you, you traitor?!" came Sirius' voice.

They all looked up, only to find Sirius standing in front of them together with James and Peter. Again, how did they do that? And why did she not notice?

"Huh?" was the only intelligent answer that came out of Remus' mouth.

"You left us all alone just so you could connive with the enemy?"

"Enemy?" Hermione asked. Lily just shrugged, not even trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"Did you think that if you talked your way into their hearts, they would let you get away with future pranks? That's so sneaky. What about us?" Okay, it was clear that his inner drama queen had made another appearance.

"Who said he was talking his way into our hearts? Maybe we were brainwashing him to stop pulling pranks in the future and to rat you out when you three do pull some?" Hermione asked him in return, challenging him. He wanted to play, she could do that too if she wanted to.

Sirius let out a dramatic gasp, clutching his heart. "So you really are a traitor, Moony?"

"What?"

"I knew it. Those clever, no-rule breaking women finally got you to go to the dark side. How? How did you persuade him, you evil vixen?"

"You really want to know? Fine." There was a pause, as if to build up tension. "Hugs. We hugged him until he couldn't take it anymore. It took only two minutes. Simple really."

"Hugs?!" Sirius said incredulous, affronted. They maintained eye-contact, neither blinking. Until they just burst out laughing. Upon hearing Sirius' bark-like laughter and Hermione's giggles, the others just followed, still not really knowing what just had happened.

After they calmed down, Sirius looked at her and said, "Nicely played. Didn't think you had it in you."

"Thanks, I tried."

"By the way, 'the dark side', really? Why are we the dark side?" Lily asked him.

"Obviously you're the dark side because you don't break rules and don't know how to have fun." Hermione just raised an eyebrow.

"Then what was this just a moment ago?"

"Okay, I'll admit, that was fun. But you still didn't break any rules though."

"Fair enough," the brunette shrugged.

"I'm a little bit offended though, Hermione," Remus said as he turned to her.

"What did I do?"

"Hugs? Really? I would rat them out because you hugged me? And only two minutes? You underestimate me." A grin graced his face.

"Sorry, it was only a joke," she laughed.

"I bet I would last longer than you." A smirk had replaced his grin and there was this gleam in his eyes. But before she could react he had his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Immediately after Lily and the other marauders joined in, practically burying the brunette under their bodies. They were a laughing mess. A heap of bodies, laughing their heads off.

After a minute they pulled back, giving the curly-haired witch a chance to breath.

"That wasn't two minutes though and I didn't even ask to be released," she stated.

"Do you want to have another go?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks," she laughed, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Told you," he said in mirth, his eyes shining in mischief.