Hey! Not too many reviews last chapter, how sad. Hopefully this one will have more, so here we go! also Hermione wasn't sixteen in OOTP but for the sake of the story she is. Enjoy

To Love a Marauder

"Sirius?….James? …..is that you, Remus?" Hermione grumbled in her sleep, tossing and turning viciously. She knew she was dreaming but something she found was extremely odd about this particular dream. It seemed so…real. As if the scene she was witnessing had actually occurred and somehow she was there to watch it unfold...

'Where am I?' Hermione thought to herself as she looked around the spot she appeared at cautiously. In front of her was a large oak tree with a trunk that appeared to be almost six feet wide. The weather, wherever she was, happened to be flawless. She looked up at the bright blue cloudless sky, feeling the warm sun tickle her skin. Turning sideways, she could see an immense murky lake close by with people sitting around it, simply enjoying the view.

'This place…I know it from somewhere,' she recalled, remembering the feeling of the springy green grass beneath her feet. She took a final turn to face the opposite direction, and realization dawned on her.

'Ah, of course, how could I be so stupid? It's Hogwarts.'

She could see the gargantuan castle that loomed over the outside grounds, adding the final touches to the scenery. Now she noticed the people around the lake were students, wasting away the hours of the late afternoon, which she presumed it was, instead of studying.

"Was it worse this time?" a male voice inquired from nearby, bringing Hermione to attention.. She perked up her ears and stepped hesitantly around the tree, making sure she was still hidden. Peeking around the trunk with her body covered, she could see the occupants of the other side.

'Oh my Lord…it's them." Hermione said in shock and disbelief. The 'them' she was referring to were the very young men she was hearing stories about a mere hour ago. The bloody Marauders! Or at least most of them from what she could see.

In front of the tree, sleeping on top of a blanket was Remus Lupin. He was a fairly gangly teen had sandy blonde hair that was a little longer than how it was kept currently. Except as of right now he didn't have a single grey hair or wrinkle on his youthful face. Hermione smiled as he swat a fly off of his face subconsciously in his sleep.

'That must be James right there, gods he looks exactly like Harry,' she mused as she turned her attention to another boy sitting on the edge of the scarlet blanket. A seventeen year old James Potter sat cross legged, mussing his hair up thoroughly so that it stuck up at all sorts of angles. He seemed generally skinny but with enough brawn to be quite successful in Quidditch. James was in fact, very handsome according the image that was presented in front of Hermione. The only negative thing about him was the utterly serious expression he currently bore on his face while talking to…

"Sirius!" Hermione gasped, unable to contain herself. Right there, in front of her own eyes, was the teenage Sirius Black. She leaned farther around the tree to get a better look at him and almost fainted.

'Wow he's…he's……damn he is a god!' Or at least was for that matter,' Hermione's mind raced as she meticulously observed the teenager. He was leaning against the tree with his legs extended in front of him. His white button up school shirt was un-tucked with the first few buttons undone to reveal a lightly tanned chest. His Gryffindor tie was loosened around his neck giving him the full rugged effect…in the most seductive way possible. Sirius' black hair hadn't changed a bit. It was still long and silky, framing his face in just the right way.. His facial structure was identical to the one he had now, the only difference was a certain glow he radiated; Hermione figured it was due to his youth and close friends.

'Actually…he looks the same for the most part. Gods if I'm thinking he looks like that now, then why aren't I swooning all over him? ……wait I forgot…I am. Damn it'

"I can't believe this! You've got to leave, Padfoot," the urgent voice of James sounded. Hermione, in order to hear better, quickly moved around the back of the tree to the other side of it, right by James and Sirius.

"I thought I could fight back now that I'm seventeen. But those bastards just learned more tricks," Sirius growled with a glare. James turned a deathly pale color at Sirius' words, causing Hermione to feel alarmed.

'What's Sirius talking about that's so terrible?'

"What did they do to you?" James said quietly, his eyes wide with fear, which Hermione observed to be an emotion he did not relay so often. Sirius sighed and reached for the hem of his shirt.

"You sure you want to see this?" he offered his friend an escape, but he nodded, accepting whatever lay beneath the sheer white fabric.

"Oh Merlin…Padfoot!" James exclaimed in horror as Sirius revealed his exposed chest. Hermione bit her lip, fighting a shriek as she beheld what James saw. Her eyes gazed reluctantly at Sirius' badly bruised chest that was a purple and yellow color. There were deep gashes randomly by his ribcage in a grotesque pattern, making Hermione's stomach churn. One cut was particularly long and jagged, gleaming crimson in the sunlight. Sirius grimaced, inspecting the damages on his own body.

"That was some hex, that gash," Sirius commented, looking at the same wound Hermione was staring at. She felt hot tears spring to her eyes as she watched the young man try to shift his position, wincing terribly.

"Your own parents… Sirius you can't live there anymore. It's too dangerous!" James told him, dragging his eyes away from his best friend's injuries. Sirius closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"I can't do anything about it unless I leave permanently, Prongs. They are worse when they know I've been visiting with friends to get away from them. I got that nasty one the day I came home from visiting Moony's house," Sirius explained, letting his shirt drop back down. James was silent for a few seconds, apparently mulling something over.

"What if…you came to live with me?" the idea sprung out of his head. He looked at Sirius with what seemed like the first smile he had made through out the length of the conversation. Sirius shook his head firmly.

"I can't do that, James. Your parents have been more than good to me and you know I love them like they were my own but…I can't be a burden to them," he said sadly, his grey eyes bearing dissapointment. James was too excited at his stroke of brilliance to take no for an answer and ignored Sirius' comment.

"Come off it, Black! You know my parents like you more than they like me! They would be glad if you came," he rattled on, trying to get his friend on board with the plan. Sirius cut his friend off and slammed his fist into the ground, his eyes wide and fiery.

"NO James! I cannot and will not live with you to cause your parents more grief. I'll just deal with it at home…it's not like I haven't don't it before," he said, managing a carefree tone. Now, it was Prong's turn to get angry as he stood up to tower over his friend.

"What, you're going to go home so they can curse you to bits again!? Is that what you want, Sirius? Is that why you won't swallow your damn pride for a minute to realize that this might be the only opportunity you might get at living a real life? A life where you won't have to have your wand at the ready when you're going to bloody get something to eat in your own kitchen! What if they kill you this time, Sirius? I'm not going to fucking sit here while your parents treat you like this anymore. You're living with me and that's final!" James bellowed ,his face red and blotchy. Sirius looked frozen, reveling in the shock he received from James' sudden outburst. Prongs stared at his friend, breathing heavily waiting for an answer.

"Well..?" James asked him, staring him down. Sirius' breath was wavering as he brought his grey eyes upwards so that James could see the mist and tears that began to leak from them.

"I don't know what to say, James," Sirius whispered, standing up onto his own to feet.

"Say you'll stop being an arrogant prat to become a Potter," James smiled at him, clapping an arm on his shoulder, understanding Sirius needed some lightening up about the whole situation.

"You're more than my best friend Prongs…I can't thank you enough," Sirius said to him after his loss for words. He pulled his friend into a hug, slapping him on the back as another tear fell from his eye. He quickly brought his hand up to wipe it away.

"Aw Padfoot! You didn't have to get all emotional on me!" James joked as they broke apart. Sirius glared at him with no visable tears.

"Shut it, Prongs. You say one word about this to anymore, I'll make your hair stay neat," he threatened. James gasped and his hand flew to his hair.

"You wouldn't dare!" James exclaimed, his eyes shifting nervously.

"Try me," Sirius growled, eyeing the jet black mess on James' head. After a few seconds of necessary silence, they both burst out laughing, fighting to breath as the roars of humor took over. Remus Lupin,awoke by their noise, opened a groggy eye to look at his two friends in hysterics.

"Did I miss something? He asked them both. Sirius held onto the tree to regain his breath and looked down at his werewolf pal.

"Not a thing... well except for the fact that I'm going to live with James and that I'm jinxing his hair to stay put," he told him nonchalantly. Remus yawned and closed his eye, rolling over onto his side to be more comfortable.

"That's great, Padfoot. Now shut up and let me get some sleep," Moony grumbled, however smiling broadly at the news before he went back to sleep.

By this point in the conversation, Hermione had turned into a wreck behind the tree. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she watched Sirius, thinking about how on earth Sirius kept the terrors of his past hidden so well.

'His parents used Dark Magic on him…they hated him…oh gods poor Sirius,' she thought as she sniffled. Hermione had to talk to him about this now, even if it was just a dream.

"Excuse me," she said gently, emerging from behind the trees, standing right in front of he boys. Neither of them looked up, ignoring her gesture.

"Sirius…James?" she asked them, speaking louder this time. They still didn't respond, looking in every direction but hers. Hermione stepped over to Remus asleep on the blanket and tapped his shoulder.

"Remus, is that you?" she question, hoping for a response. The figure didn't stir at all, leaving her perplexed.

'Great…they can't see me. How am I going to talk to Sirius about this? I can't just mention it to him and say I learned everything from a bloody dream.'

"I'm guessing neither of you can see me," she said out loud, positioning herself next to Sirius. As she expected, her words did nothing.

"I think I'll take a nap now, Prongsy. Moony seems to be enjoying himself," Sirius spoke, laying himself down onto the blanket.

"Good plan, Padfoot," James commented, adjusting himself on the blanket as well. Hermione watched for a few moments as the boys closed their eyes and slowly slipped into a subtle doze.

"Let's take a look at what those horrid people did to you," Hermione muttered, sitting down onto the blanket. She tentatively place her hand on the hem of Sirius shirt, causing no movement in the teen. Very slowly, she rose the shirt up, revealing his decorated chest once again.

"Oh Sirius…." Hermione whispered, looking at the mess. She began tracing each one of the scars on his muscular chest, imprinting them into her mind. She didn't seem to notice the fresh, salty droplets running down her face once again as her finger grazed the long gash.

"How could they?" Hermione whimpered. She stared at Sirius' peaceful face as he slept, his breathing shallow. His scent, she found, was exactly the same as it was in her time. The aroma gave her a sense of familiarity, reminding her of the man she knew now. The one that went through so much in his life to be stuck as a recluse in his home.

"Don't worry… I promise I'm going to help you overcome your past. You won't have to deal with this on your own anymore, I swear that to you, Sirius," she said quietly, placing her palm on his warm cheek. A stirring in her stomach gave her the stimulus to do what she did next.

Ever so gently, she leaned toward his face, her pink lips hovering close to his own. Lightly, they lowered themselves, almost touching his until the last second where she quickly moved them over to his cheek, She pressed her lips on his warm cheek, feeling tickled by the few stubbles she found. Pulling her face away, she smiled at the teen, knowing he would never find out what she just did. All of a sudden, she felt a warming sensation on her hand. She bought it close to her face, inspecting it.

"What the…?" she muttered. The feeling in her hand was spreading to her entire body, making her feel calm and blissful. The scene in front of her began to slip away as darkness enveloped it instead.

Hermione, half asleep, squint her eyes to see into the darkness of the room. Something was touching her hand, making it feel unnaturally wet. She peered downwards to see the silhouette of black fur perched up on hind legs at her bedside, licking her hand gently. At her sudden movement, the dog stopped lapping its tongue and looked up at the conscious girl. Hermione, falling quickly back onto her pillow, could only recall the feeling of the dog's wet muzzle touching her hand one last time before watching it disapear into the darkness and she went back to sleep.

About two hours ago...

"Damn...Bloody...Dreams," a frustrated Sirius Black groaned, waking up for the third time since going to bed. He sighed heavily, feeling trickles of sweat on his forehead. Noticing he still had on his clothing from the previous day, he took off his shirt, leaving the pants on.

'Might as well go get something to drink in the kitchen. I don't see myself falling asleep properly anytime soon.'

Throwing the covers off of himself, Sirius got out of bed, running both hands through his hair.

'I've got to stop dreaming about that girl... I'll be an insomniac by the time the summers over!'

Standing up, he found in front of him a cracked, full length mirror. Taking a minute, Sirius stared into the glass, frowning at what he saw.

Reflecting back at him was someone he didn't even recognize. Some things of course were still the same. He could see he still had the same physique, tall and toned, that was evident. His hair had never changed over the years, he made sure of that. However, what upset him was the one thing he was lacking the most…

Emotion

The years and troubles he had endured took away the lively spirit that hsd always engulfed him. He could have sworn when he was younger, he would practically reek of exuberance and youth. His skin would shine with anticipation and excitement, waiting for life's next adventures to strike. Now, looking back at himself, only he could tell his skin had lost its sheen.

My Eyes

The mirror reflected a pair of stony grey eyes that were empty. Every once in a while, they would spark and twinkle just like they use to, but the glint would always fade quickly.

Azkaban, Lily and James' deaths, letting Peter slip away…. They all added up. He was ashamed he couldn't even appear to be happy when he was around Harry. His godson deserved someone to always be there to smile and laugh with him, but Sirius couldn't do that...not anymore.

Peering closer into the mirror, keeping his eyes in mind, Sirius found something that startled him.

Hope

It was clearly there, no question about that. Someone else would not notice it but Sirius could. in an instant. He was looking at a faint sparkle in his grey eyes, causing himself to step backwards.

'What…why now? How could that be? Nothings changed…' he lied to himself, trying to pull his mind away from the obvious answer, lit up with flashing lights in his head.

Hermione Granger

"It can't be," Sirius muttered, looking in awe at the sudden change in his demeanor. But right in front of him, he could not deny, was a sign of happiness, a sign that had long been gone for the last twelve years of his life. Surely, a sixteen year old girl could not have brought about this drastic change…could she?

'No…it's impossible. I'm just happy because Harry's coming in a week.'

He mentally slapped himself, knowing that was definitely not the answer. Shaking his head, he walked over to his nightstand and grabbed the shirt he had discarded minutes before and pulled it back on, covering his badly scarred chest.

'Lovely daily reminder of mum and dad.'

Disgusted, Sirius tore his mind away from that part of his past. It was too dark...too terrible to even dwell on anymore. It was the last thing he'd ever want to bring up again in his life. The pain and horrors surrounding it weren't exactly great conversation.

Shuddering, Sirius made his way out of his room down the hall, only to stop suddenly. A quiet whimpering noise was ringing in his ears.

'What in gods name is that?'

Taking slow steps, he listened intently at each of the doors he passed, waiting to hear if the sound became louder. The volume of the noise increased as he continued down the hall. Finally, the whimpering and low voice he heard had become clear at the door Sirius stopped at. His ear was pressed firmly against the wood and he could make out a few words.

"Oh Sirius…." a muttering voice said, with sadness in their voice.

'Who the bloody…' Sirius thought, until he realized whose door he was standing in front of.

Hermione!

"How could they?" her distinct voice asked, sending chills down Sirius' spine. Quickly, he turned himself into his Animagus form so he could go inside the room undetected. Pushing the door ajar with his black noise, he wandered into the room. A loud snoring from the bed opposite Hermione's indicated that Ginny was in a very deep sleep, unaware of her room mate's noise making. Slowly, Sirius approached Hermione's bed to see her thrashing amongst the sheets.

"I promise…" she cried out, turning over once more. Her hand fell off the side of the bed limply. Swiftly, Sirius went up onto his hind legs, leaning on her bed. He began to lick her hand gently, in an attempt to comfort her. Miraculously, after a few seconds,the noises ceased and her body stopped moving. He continued to lap at her soft palm, until he felt a sudden movement. Pausing, he turned his furry head to look up at Hermione, whose eyes were somewhat open, staring curiously at him. Apparently she must have been quite tired because she dropped back down to her pillows, ignoring the large canine at her bedside. Sirius nuzzled her hand once more with his nose and padded off to leave the room.

Once safely outside the door, he transformed back into his human self. Putting his hands on his face, he sighed and leaned back against the cool wall, his head spinning.

'What was she dreaming about? Was I dying or something….? She made me a promise...but what!'

Taking a deep breath, Sirius got off the wall and walked back to his room, forgetting about his plans to go to the kitchen. This time, upon arrival in his bedroom, he stripped off his shirt and pants, feeling the cold air hit his body welcoming. Climbing into bed, he stared up at the ceiling forming a peculiar thought.

'Didn't Merlin marry a woman thirty years younger than him?

Gods…Now I'm trying to compare myself to bloody Merlin

Maybe Hermione isn't the only one going crazy'