A/N: Hello Everyone. Sorry for the very long break between chapters, but it took time getting everything settled after the funeral. Me and my family are doing beautifully now that it is all over and done with. Tired but doing great otherwise. Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my AN for chapter 11. The wonderful thoughts and messages were amazing and I love you all for leaving them. Due to that, I'm not changing chapter 11's post because you wont be able to leave me a review if you responded to my AN.

I haven't had a chance to respond to the reviews yet for the last chapter or my AN, I wanted to get this posted first. I will get to them but it might take a few days, there are a lot of them. I love them all too, thank you again.

Special Thanks to my very awesome Beta, Kristine Thorne, she has done fantastic work on this story.

Take care all, and remember Please Read and Review.

Chapter 11

They rang in the New Year together and Christmas break was coming to an end. Hermione made a run to Hogsmead one weekend to get Severus a little something for his birthday.

A journal for him to put any notes he wanted to into it. It wasn't anything fancy, just a plain, but soft emerald leather journal. She knew he used journals later for all of his potion notes, but wasn't sure if he'd like one now. She added in a label for this present as well. Just a simple note wishing him a happy birthday, which she signed 'Your friend always, Hermione.'

He seemed to really like the present. Thanking her softly, still seeming a bit off balance with her at times. Something she understood considering what she knew of him and his past. He never had anyone be a real friend to him before. Never had anyone do anything for him without having some sort of hidden agenda.

They spent as much time as possible together during the rest of their break. They taught each other more and they were getting better with their own things they were learning.

Severus could now do more simple spells wandlessly, though he still needed his wand for silent spells. She could scan thoughts whenever she wanted, but couldn't look past just the surface into deeper memories or get past any walls.

A few times during their lessons in the evening, she had seen him grimace and his arm would twitch. She always claimed to need a break at that moment. Saying she would catch up with him later so he wouldn't have to lie to her.

He had been distracted with his pain so didn't think anything of her convenient excuses that let him go. She always gave him a smile and squeezed his hand before she left the room.

She always worried about him going, but knew he was fine right now. He had been in her past, his future, so she knew he would stay just fine at those meetings.

Once, she had gotten so antsy knowing he was gone that she had gone back and started her Death Eater workout again. Letting it burn away her nervous energy so she could sleep that night.

The next day after each time, he would smile at her over breakfast and she would smile back while mentally sighing in relief. She may have known he would be fine, but she had still worried. Then after breakfast, they'd find some way to fill the day together.

Her friends came back two days before school started again. They had told her all about what they had done during their break. Lily told her how she had floo'd over to see the boys several times during their break.

They asked what she had done. She kept her answers vague. Saying she spent time with a friend, which was true. Telling them how she had taken a few walks and even started reading a new book. Though she left out that Severus had read it to her.

She thanked them all again for her presents. Hoping to change the subject. Which had worked since it got her friends talking about what all they had gotten for Christmas.

Severus overheard this since they were all sitting in class together while he sat in the row behind her and a few chairs over to watch and listen to them. He knew she just didn't want her friends to know she had stayed behind so they didn't feel bad. She had told him as much already. Though he hadn't liked that she left out that she had spent her time with him. It had made him feel like she didn't want them to know who she had hung around with.

Sirius threw his arm over Hermione's shoulder before he spoke, making Severus grind his teeth together in annoyance over it. "Kitten, you should have joined us. We had a blast. You could have ditched your parents for one day to spend some of your break with us."

Hermione smiled, shrugging a bit, which ended up making Sirius drop his arm. Severus smirked at this as he listened to her. "Sirius, I told you all already. I had to stay where I was. Besides, I had fun over the break too. I enjoyed the walks and talking to my friend. I like reading books, so getting to read and learn from a new one was fun for me. I'm sure I would have just bored you all by sitting around with my nose in a book anyway."

Lily was on her other side. "Hermione, we would have loved you to be there is all. Nose in a book or not. Maybe next Christmas, yeah?"

Hermione smiled, though Severus saw it was strained. "Maybe." He didn't know why that seemed to upset her, or why she lied, but he knew if he asked she wouldn't give him a full or straight answer.

Whether Hermione knew it or not, she was a terrible liar. He had seen her do it on several occasions. Each time she looked a bit strained when she lied too. Whether in a slight panic or simply sad over it. He never knew why she lied when she did either. The questions she lied about seemed harmless enough.

Half way through the class, one of her dorm mates commented on Hermione doing something while over the break while at the school. Four sets of eyes fastened on her instantly. Five including Severus.

Hermione blushed at getting caught. Then, Remus spoke. "Hermione, why did you lie about staying here at school?"

Severus could see the wheels turning in her mind with her head turned towards Remus. Saw her searching for something to say. It was all in her eyes. Finally she shrugged. "My folks had a change of plans and I didn't want you all to feel guilty over me staying. Nor did I want you all to feel obligated to try and come back early. It was fine though."

Lily frowned. "So you didn't do any of that stuff? Walking and talking with your friend?"

Severus waited and when Hermione smiled he felt his lips quirk just a bit. Her words warmed him. "No I did. I did it all. I just did it here with my friend. I had fun too."

Sirius raised his eye brows at her. "What friend?"

Hermione grinned. "Severus."

The four friends looked at each other before turning back to her. Sirius scoffed. "Snivellous? Why would you hang out with him?"

Hermione's smile faded as her eyes frosted over. "Because I wanted to. I like him and I've already told you to back off. You can either deal with me being friends with who I want, or you can bugger off."

James, who was sitting on the other side of Lily, looked at Remus, who was sitting next to Sirius. Remus nodded and reached over, smacking Sirius in the back of the head.

Sirius sighed, making Severus smirk. "Fine Kitten. You can hang with who you want, though I think it's crazy that you're choosing the greasy git over us."

Hermione sighed. "Sirius, I'm not choosing him over you guys. If he told me to pick, I'd tell him to bugger off just like I did you. I don't do well with ultimatums. If you told me to choose, I wouldn't choose you. If he told me to choose, I wouldn't choose him. Do you get it now?"

Sirius sighed. "Fine. I get it Kitten. I don't have to like it though."

She smiled and leaned against him. "You don't have to like it, but you're my friend too. So you have to tolerate who all is in my life. Same as I have to tolerate who's in yours. I don't like all your female admirers that follow you around. Some are very annoying. But if they're important, I'll live with them, I guess."

Sirius grinned and slipped his arm around her shoulders again. Severus narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but stayed silent. "Kitten, I'd be more than happy to drop all my admirers if you wanted to be the only girl in my life to follow me around."

Severus growled and Hermione snorted out a laugh, making Severus pause in reaching for his wand. She shoved Sirius' arm off of her and moved back into the center of her seat. Leaning more towards Lily on her other side now. "Sirius, be serious. You don't want me to follow you. You just want me to want to follow you."

Sirius sighed. "First off, I am serious, and that joke is getting old. Second, you keep saying that, but you'll never know if you don't try."

Lily sighed. "Sirius, let it go. If she was interested, don't you think you'd have known it by now? She would have caved long before now."

Sirius pouted. "Maybe she is just playing hard to get."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe you just can't get it through your thick skull that there are girls out there that don't find you all that attractive."

James and Remus snickered while Sirius looked annoyed. Severus smirked but didn't make a sound. "You'll come around one of these days Kitten."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak and quickly shut it. She remembered she'd had a crush on Sirius the summers of her forth and fifth year. With all the time she had spent at Grimmauld Place and seeing him constantly while he harmlessly flirted with her is what caused it. She couldn't say it would never happen, because in his future it would.

Instead she smiled. "Maybe I will. But by that point, you'll be too old to do anything about it anyway." Which would be true. She would be only fifteen and he'd be thirty-five during the summer of her fourth year. Not even close to possible then.

Her three other friends snickered again, thinking she meant they'd both be very old at that point. Severus frowned, but decided to let it go since he figured she was just screwing with Sirius.

They were still snickering at the end of class. James and Lily went to their next class. Sirius and Remus slipped their arms around Hermione's waist and walked with her to their next class together.

Severus growled at the sight, and Hermione turned her head at the sound. She stopped walking, stumbling a bit when the two young men holding her, kept pushing her along. They stopped with her after she caught herself, looking at her oddly for stopping.

Hermione looked behind her again and saw Severus standing there not far behind her. She smiled and told her other two friends she'd catch up with them later. Remus nodded and kept walking but Sirius stayed while glaring at Severus as Hermione walked back towards him.

Giving Sirius a smirk, Severus watched the handsome Marauder walk off, catching back up to Remus. Severus met up with Hermione.

"I see you have enough escorts to class. Why did you feel the need for a third?" He asked her while raising an eyebrow at her.

She grinned at him. "I hadn't had a chance to talk to you today. Did you want to meet me after dinner in the Room of Requirement for another lesson?"

He smiled slightly as they started walking again. "Itching to learn more are you?"

She shrugged. "I thought you might like more practice with your wandless magic. Maybe we can get you good at it by the time you graduate."

Severus chuckled softly. "So you think it'll take that long?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's not something you learn overnight. It took me about a good year and a half, almost two years to get good enough to do the more complex spells."

Severus frowned. "You started learning wandless magic at sixteen?"

Bugger. Hermione mentally cursed. She had forgotten about the time difference in her age for a moment. She gave a quick smile to cover it up. "Something like that."

Severus' brows drew together slightly, but let it go. They arrived at their next class. Defense Against the Dark Arts. She slipped her arm around his and steered him towards a seat.

He was again so startled by her taking his arm that he didn't immediately notice where they were headed exactly. She sat down and he sat next to her, but with a quick glance, saw she was sitting next to Remus who was sitting next to Sirius.

Remus looked a bit unsure, and Sirius was glaring. Hermione gave them all smiles and pulled out her books, parchment, and quills. Severus ground his teeth for not paying closer attention. But in the end, simply decided to enjoy sitting next to her.

Fifteen minutes into class, their professor announced breaking into pairs to practice throwing some spells and covering some blocks. Hermione sighed since she had learned this already. So far everything was holding up that the classes were a good two to three years behind in what she had learned at Hogwarts in her time.

Hermione snagged Snape's arm when he went to move away from her to join another group. He looked at her and she pointed to her head. It took him a moment to realize that she didn't want say her thoughts out loud.

He smirked and with a whisper, he was in her mind. There will be only three of us if you leave, so we need a fourth. Besides, you might enjoy getting a bit of revenge by tossing some hexes at these two. She thought as she began to grin.

He smirked and showed her something he had never shown another living soul before and whispered a quick spell. Hermione saw his grin and was about to stand when she heard a thought in her mind that wasn't her own.

That is an excellent idea. Though, I think the spells I'd rather throw wouldn't be allowed in this class. Hermione frowned for a moment, trying to figure out where the thoughts came from, plus wondering why they sounded like they were in his voice when he raised his eyebrow at her.

Her eyes grew wide as she stared at him, realizing she had left a part of her wall down for him to read her thoughts. Holy cow. Did he just push thoughts into my head?

Yes. He thought back at her. Once again projecting his thoughts into her mind. Making her gasp. The sound making his smirk grow bigger.

Remus leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?" He had heard her gasp and her heart rate increase suddenly.

Hermione turned back to Remus. "Oh…I…realized I forgot to grab one of my books at breakfast. I hope its still there when I get back." It sounded lame to her, she only hoped he bought it.

That was the best you could come up with? I think instead of Legilimency, I should teach you how to think quickly and lie better. Snape said in her mind.

Hermione swallowed. Okay, a little warning might have been nice. I didn't know you could do that. I've never even heard of anyone doing that. She thought for him to see while forcing other thoughts behind her wall. Thoughts of wondering if he had ever shown anyone that before or how he might have used that to his advantage while doing his spy stuff for Dumbledore.

He chuckled softly. It was more fun as a surprise. The look on your face was priceless. I'm hoping you keep this skill of mine to yourself though. No one knows I can do it.

She didn't get a chance to respond since Remus nudged her to get her moving. They needed to get up and get into pairs for class. She quickly stood.

So whom do you want first? She asked him in her mind.

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink, making her smile as she realized that she was whom he wanted first out of their group. Though she doubted it was for hexing purposes.

Then he gave her his thoughts. I think I'll take Black.

She nodded, turning to the boys who were looking at them curiously. She gave the two a smile. "Okay, I guess I'll take Remus first." She said.

Sirius looked a bit surprised, then grinned as he realized she was going to let him hex Snape. "Sounds good to me, Kitten."

Remus frowned slightly. "Um…Hermione, are you sure?"

She grinned at him. "Yep. Either of you two have a problem with that?" She asked Severus and Sirius.

Both shook their head as they stared at each other. Hermione looked over at Remus. "See? No problem. So five spells each, not counting blocks, then we switch?"

The three young men nodded and they each faced their partner. Remus shot a tickling charm at Hermione, who blocked it easily with her wand. She smirked. "You are going to have to do better than that Remus."

Remus threw a jelly leg jinx and again she dodged it, following it up with a levitating spell. She hit him since he wasn't ready and she let him dangle for a moment before letting him back down.

Remus grinned and shot another spell at her. She blocked, but since this was fairly simple for her, she glanced over and noticed that Sirius and Severus had not yet fired at all at each other.

She sent the levitating spell again so she had a moment to speak to the other two. "Are you boys just going to look at each other all day?" Remus glanced at them as well, no longer concerned about floating mid-air.

"Come on you two." Remus said.

Snape tried his hand at using a silent spell, using it to talk to Hermione in her mind. He's trying to decide which curse to throw at me first while watching me to see what I do. Several little nasty hexes have crossed his mind already.

Hermione smiled. That isn't fair if you read his mind to defeat him.

Why not? Its what I'd do in a real fight. Why not keep the skill sharp? He thought back.

True. She thought as Remus cleared his throat to bring her attention back to him. She gave Remus a grin and let him down.

She threw a spell at him, purposely missing him so he didn't feel bad for always getting caught. You did that on purpose. Snape pushed into her mind.

Hermione smiled but didn't reply as Remus threw another tickling charm at her. She let her block be slow and let it hit her. She dropped to the floor, giggling.

Severus glanced her way and that's when Sirius fired. Since Severus had been distracted by her laugh, surprised that Remus got her, he didn't block fast enough so Sirius hit him with an Engorgio spell.

Sirius laughed as Severus' nose got even bigger. Severus used the counter curse and shrank it back to size. Remus had also released Hermione from her spell and helped her back up.

Severus focused again and as Sirius fired another spell, Severus blocked and sent his own spell quickly. Sirius found himself hanging upside down by a rope tied around his ankles.

Hermione saw this and laughed, while Remus smirked. Neither trying to throw spells since they were too busy watching the other two.

Sirius growled. "Okay, let me down Snivellous." Severus simply smirked but didn't mutter a word to let him down.

Hermione sighed. "Let him down Severus. You can hang him again if he misses his block."

Sirius glared at her. "Hey Kitten, who's side are you on anyway?"

Hermione laughed softly. "You are the one who missed the block, and I'm trying to help get you down."

Sirius scoffed. "If you were trying to help, you'd just wave your hand or something and let me down."

Hermione chuckled. "Sorry. I don't do that kind of thing in class. Wands only. Unless provoked of course."

Remus took that moment to send another silly spell at her, which she blocked without much effort. She threw a spell that made him grow a mustache, looking more like he did as an adult. She smiled at the effect, but he quickly got rid of it.

Severus let Sirius down, and they shot a few more spells at each other. Though nothing got through since both were ready and blocked them.

Remus sent his last spell, which Hermione let hit her. She hadn't been paying attention to what he cast since they were all harmless. So she ended up drenched in water. She gasped as the cold water hit her, making all three men glance at her and chuckle.

Remus blushed and muttered an apology, saying he thought she would block it. She rolled her eyes at him, and then gave him a smirk. It was her own fault that she was wet anyway. She could have dodged it.

That's what you get for faking a block. You forget, I've seen you actually fight with the dummies. Severus projected at her while smirking. She gave him a smile, knowing he was right.

Sirius winked at her. "See, some kittens do enjoy a good bath from time to time."

Hermione glared at him. "I take baths you blooming sod." She muttered as she used a drying spell on herself, which only served to frizz out her hair. She sighed and used a charm to tie it up into a tight knot on her head.

Sirius chuckled and Severus shot another spell at him while he was distracted. Sirius ended up with braided pigtails and a full makeup charm, including bright red lipstick. Hermione glanced his way and started giggling again.

When it was time to switch, Sirius took Hermione. They sent several spells at each other but when she dodged them all, Sirius sighed since he had been hit once or twice himself.

Remus and Severus did their five spells, but Severus never got hit though Remus got hit every time. When it was time for Hermione to take on Severus, she took her stance and was about to fire when she felt her bra strap snap her back.

Hermione's eyes grew wide before glaring at Severus. "What the hell? That stung."

Severus frowned. "I didn't throw anything yet."

Hermione opened her mouth, but then she smiled mischievously. Is Sirius looking smug while staring at the back of my head? She thought for him to read.

She saw Severus' eyes leave hers for a second before he gave a small incline of his head. She smile grew. Okay, do me a favor and hold off on attacking me for a moment. I'm not going to hit you so…don't hex me yet.

When Severus gave another small incline of his head, Hermione used her hand to conjure a mirror across the room. She shifted slightly until it gave her a perfect line of sight on Sirius. Step to your right for me please. She thought. Severus moved just a bit, curious what she was going to do.

She raised her wand at Severus and with a flick of her wrist, shot a spell towards the mirror. It bounced off, came back and hit Sirius right in the head. He instantly broke out in hundreds of tiny puss filled boils all over his face.

Sirius thought Remus had done it since Hermione wasn't even looking at him, though he couldn't figure out how since Remus hadn't lifted his wand. Remus started laughing, while holding up his hands, showing he didn't do it, and Sirius looked at Hermione who was still not facing him.

Severus was doing his best not to burst out laughing. That was bloody brilliant. I have no clue what spell that was, but I have to learn it. Black looks good in boils. Severus projected at her, as Hermione was trying to hold her giggles in.

"All right Kitten. I know you did it, but how? You never even looked at me." Sirius asked as he tried to see his reflection in a tiny hand held mirror he conjured. He grimaced at what he saw.

"Why would I divulge all my secrets? Besides, you might try to get me back with that one and I'm not sure I remember the counter curse. Madame Pomphrey can't cure it so I would have to wait for the spell to end on its own." Hermione said with a grin, making Remus crack up even harder, Sirius blanch at the thought of staying like this for a while, and Severus finally gave in and started laughing too.

Sirius glared at her. "Kitten, you'd better remember the counter curse. Where did you even learn that spell? I've never seen it before."

Hermione grinned at him. "Friends of mine back home created it. It helped them get out of class or would ruin the day for their victims. They run a joke shop." Her smile slowly faded. Or at least they did. She thought. Remembering that George closed it down and sold it after…she pushed the memory away before it was complete.

Severus glanced at her, having heard her thoughts since she didn't have her wall back up yet. Quickly seeing an image of a tall redhead staring at closed shop. A bright sign across the door saying sold. Hermione had her arm around the redhead's waist and one of his arms was around her shoulder as they turned away from it. Both looking utterly desolated. A small group of other people were in the background, but he couldn't see them clearly since they weren't in focus. Then the memory was gone, locked away.

He had noticed she didn't look much older than she did now, so it must have been recent. Why did they close it? He projected to her gently after seeing the sadness in her eyes at the memory.

Hearing his softly spoken question in her head, her eyes jerked to his. Her expression was carefully guarded as she quickly put all her walls back up and discretely shook her head. He nodded slightly after feeling her kick him out of her mind. Wondering why she wouldn't talk about it.

Hermione quickly sent the counter curse at Sirius and went back to facing Severus. He saw a hint of pain in her eyes, but it was obvious that she didn't want him to ask anything more on it.

They went back to dueling, though Severus noticed she didn't seem to be enjoying it anymore. She shot a few spells at him, and he knew she was taking it easy on him. Her movements slower than he had seen when she sent them to the dummies in the Room of Requirement, though she blocked every spell he sent her way. It made him wonder if they ever really dueled, who would win.

When class was over, she told all the young men that she'd see them later. She wasn't hungry so she was skipping lunch. Severus watched her go. Knowing she was upset over her memory, but didn't know how to help her.

A/N: Okay, so this was a bit of a filler chapter, but it's important in a way too. Hope everyone liked it. I will try to post again tomorrow, to kind of to catch up on the few updates I wasn't here to post before. Take care everyone and I hope you leave me your thoughts on the chapter.