Harry was sitting at the table in Grimmauld with George, Remus, Sirius, Ron, Bill and even Charlie had made an appearance this time for the holidays. Despite Hermione's resistance to it, Harry promised Ron would behave and shoved him around a bit to make him apologize to the marauders. She was none too thrilled but agreed as long as he knew he was putting his own life in his hands.
"So, you have to tell us, because most of us are so curious," George started as he drained his glass, "why her?"
Sirius and Remus glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders, "why not? She speaks our language. Long before she became pack."
Harry bobbed his head in a drunken haze, "she may be a bossy witch, but Hermione has always done what she could for others. As long as she is happy I don't care who she shags."
Ron shook his head and poured himself another glass, "It is pretty bloody mental."
"Ron, Hermione is going to curse you if you upset them," Harry warned and the Marauders laughed.
"I am not worried about that boy," Remus sighed and shook his head.
"Hey, Remus, what is the whole purpose of your said pack?" Charlie asked and the werewolf tilted his head.
Sirius patted his shoulder and chuckled, "I have this one. We are there to keep our broody werewolf happy. Sometimes someone needs to step up and boss him around a bit. Sometimes he needs someone to get grumbly with and many times he needs someone to shag and love on. Personally, I am glad I do not participate in that last one." Sirius finished and the wizards all laughed.
"It isn't common outside of denning, is it?" Bill inquired and Remus shook his head.
"But not many people are willing to become animagi for a werewolf. That is even slimmer that they are canines like my fellow Marauder, Padfoot. Werewolves don't really do well with each other. They become more feral. Sirius and Hermione have allowed me to just be." Remus stopped and patted Sirius's chest, "be that."
"If they are bit? Then what?" Ron growled and Sirius waved him off.
He pulled his pants down and tossed his bare legs on the table. "I have been bitten tons of times as a dog. It doesn't make me a werewolf. Hurts like a bugger but that is about it."
There were silvery scars hidden among his hair, none of which looked all that bad. Sirius put his legs back down and Remus rested his chin on Sirius's shoulder. "I miss our witch," he grumbled and Sirius sighed.
"Shagging must be interesting," George chuckled and Ron turned red.
Bill turned pink and shook his head, "I don't know if I want to know. We are talking about Hermione Granger."
George dismissed him and grinned at the marauders, "tell me something. Not in detail, but I have to know. She bossy in bed?"
The Marauders laughed and Sirius grabbed his stomach and shook his head, "not even close, George." Remus snickered and Sirius rested his cheek against the werewolf's hair.
"We wouldn't be able to handle it. Neither one of us are very tame personalities," Sirius huffed and Remus nodded.
Charlie frowned, "that doesn't make sense. Two alpha types?"
Sirius leaned back and rubbed Remus's hair, "sometimes. Sometimes it's me and I have to tell Moony to stop being fussy. Other times Moony needs to be top dog and we trade."
"I am not interested in being on top of you, Pads." Remus teased and the animagus shook his head.
"It would be easier if you would just admit you want to shag me, Moony." Sirius snickered and the werewolf shoved him.
"I already have that taken care of for me, wanker," the werewolf growled and the wizards laughed.
"And she is completely fine with not telling you both what to do?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Despite what you believe, boy, our witch is very happy letting us take care of her. She wants for nothing. She goes to work, saving the world and such, comes home and she knows she is ours. If she needs a new book you really think I wait for her to go get it herself? She may get mad at me about spending my wealth on her, but she lets me." Sirius growled and Remus nodded.
"She really doesn't have a want in the world, Ron. We are pretty diligent to make her happy." Remus agreed and Sirius smiled.
"She is too young to be a mother to your child," Ron grumbled and Remus's nose flared.
"Relax, Moony, he is just baiting you," Sirius spat and glared at Ron. "She does what pleases her. You really think we force her to take care of Teddy? She loves that boy and if I were you I wouldn't talk about things like that. That is his son and Hermione loves him."
Harry cleared his throat, "It really isn't our business anyway, Ron. Even if Hermione is pregnant with twins, it isn't our business unless she makes it that way."
Sirius glared over at Remus, his cheeks red. "She isn't, right?"
Remus laughed and shook his head, "She is pretty regular with her potions, Pads. I would smell it if she was."
"Are you both going to marry her?" Charlie asked and drained his glass.
The Marauders nodded and Remus sighed, "eventually. She is a fickle woman about certain things and we don't want her to feel rushed."
"Those two have been wanting to marry her since my wedding," Harry teased and they nodded.
"She is our it," Sirius replied and George laughed.
"I am on board with that wedding. Mum would be crying hysterically. Dad is absolutely intrigued by you both, it is a pretty good plan."
"Honestly, I think everyone is bloody insane!" Ron had enough; he stood up and moved to leave.
"Listen, boy, you stay clear of her. Don't think you are going over to Harry's to upset our witch. I mean it, I will know." Remus retorted and Ron stopped in the doorway to the kitchen.
The red head growled and left the room, "and here I thought you were dramatic, Moony." Sirius grumbled and rolled his eyes.
"What are she and Ginny talking about?" Harry asked with a smile.
Remus tilted his head and focused on Hermione feelings, "not sure what it is regarded to but there is plenty of love being bubbled up. Any of their wizards or my Teddy." Remus responded and Sirius nodded.
"She has the same bubbly feeling when Ginny talks about you. She loves you both deeply." Sirius chuckled and Remus sighed.
"She really is a beautiful woman. Deep and thoughtful. A great shag. Cunning and smart." Remus grumbled and rubbed his facial hair.
Sirius growled and shook his head, "don't start pining, Moony. I cannot handle that in my drunken state."
"Fine, Pads. Shall we tell them about what Hogwarts was like for us Marauders?" Remus offered and Sirius grinned.
"Gladly," Sirius replied and the wizards talked about old school stories while they drank.
0o0o
Ginny was brushing Hermione's hair as they watched some feminine movie on the telly. Ginny was happy to have her best friend to herself for once. "I love your hair like this, Hermione. It is so well taken care of."
"Sirius has been showing me his secrets. His hair is pretty maintained," Hermione giggled and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Is Ron gone yet?" Ginny inquired and Hermione tilted her head a little.
"No, but they are enjoying his irritation," Hermione responded and Ginny sighed.
The red head sat down next to her and glared, "tell me something. What is that like? To feel them like that?"
Hermione smiled and shrugged, "it is like them telling me all their secret feelings without talking."
Ginny nodded and poked Hermione lightly, "are you happy? Really?"
"The happiest," Hermione said with a smile.
"If Remus asks to take Teddy, are you going to be his mother?" Ginny asked her with a serious face.
Hermione bit the side of her bottom lip, "if Remus asked me to."
"That's a major life change, Hermione." Ginny declared and Hermione sighed.
"That boy deserves some sort of mother, Gin. If Remus told me tomorrow that he was going to ask Andromeda to let him have his son fully, I would support that. Yes, it would be different. Yes, I am twenty and still very young, but it would be worth it. Plus, I would be the working mother and he has his dad and uncle at home." Hermione finished and Ginny nodded.
"Alright, that is fair." Ginny murmured and hugged Hermione. "Just wait several years for your own, okay?"
"Yes," Hermione said with a smirk.
0o0o
"Would you stop drooling on me?" Remus growled at Sirius who passed out on the werewolf's chest last night.
The male animagus scratched Remus's stomach and chuckled. "you feeling grumpy with a hangover, Moony?"
"I am shocked you don't have your own boyfriend by now, Pads," Remus grumbled and stretched.
Sirius grinned and waggled his eyebrows at him, "you are, you just don't know it yet."
The werewolf couldn't help but to chuckle and shook his head, "not I, I love our witch too much to shag you."
"Me too, also, knobs are just frightening, especially yours, Moony," Sirius teased and pulled himself up next to the other man.
"I wish she was here. It was hard to sleep without her," the werewolf grunted and curled up next to the animagus.
Sirius sighed heavily and nodded, running his hand lazily through the soft brown hair of his pack mate. "Very hard. Her supple body pressed ever so softly against us. Her sighs in the middle of the night when one of us would move. It is hard to believe someone could love us so much."
There was a knock and George walked into Sirius's room with some potions and tea. "Morning, fellas. I figured with how much you both drink you could use this before surfacing."
"Coming to join the cuddlefest, Weasley?" Sirius snickered and George chuckled.
"How are you two not shagging?" George teased and Remus groaned.
"My knob is far too large for Padfoot's arse," Remus retorted and George turned bright red.
He set down the tray and made a face before speaking, "Mum asked me something and I want to run it by you two."
They sat up and drank their potions before dressing their tea. "What can we do for you George?" Sirius asked and George rubbed the back of his neck.
"Since you are more or less a part of the family, she wanted me to ask for your help with my shop. I have been working quite a bit lately and well... things haven't been the same since Fred... you know." George trailed off and Remus nodded.
"I am sure Sirius and I would fit right in. Sirius and James were the worse back in Hogwarts." Remus said with a grin and the animagus nudged him.
"You helped. You gave us ideas and we did them. You are not innocent by far." Sirius retorted and the werewolf chuckled.
"Plus we are driving ourselves crazy all by ourselves while Hermione is working," Remus admitted and George nodded.
"Mum figured, she more or less pushed me to ask because I told her how it has become almost too much. Fred was always there and now that he's not... well, it hasn't been the easiest." George confessed and Sirius yanked the red head on the bed.
"Come now, we aren't replacements, but I don't mind playing pranks. Join the party," Sirius waggled his eyebrows at the Weasley who chuckled and lounged on the bed.
"You know when I met your older selves... I had no clue you were the marauders from the map. Bloody brilliant, mates." George declared and Sirius pointed a thumb at Remus who was still sitting.
"That cad right there. James came up with the idea when we had to sneak out for Moony's transformations. Remus studied what spells we would need and learned them so we could start work on the map. Two years and we had finished it up. That was back at the end of our third year, right, Moony? We finished the map fully by the end fifth." Sirius explained and Remus nodded and sipped his tea.
"You all were completely deranged even thinking of running around with me, but I was incredibly thankful. Seems I promote people to change their lives for me." Remus murmured and blushed.
"Woah, there. Don't think that, Moony. She loves us." Sirius could feel his friend touching on the dark feelings of regret.
Remus nodded and flopped on Sirius's torso, looking over at George, "how would you like our help?" The werewolf asked.
George grinned and shrugged, "help me run my shop? I may even be able to teach you both a thing or two."
The Marauders nodded together, "sounds fun, let's do it after the holiday." Sirius chuckled and Remus agreed.