Her hair was matted around her face as she saw the light touch her eyes from sleep. Moving to clear her face she saw she was not in her room, but the sly animagus's who must have brought her up here. She had fallen asleep while reading against Remus. That was nothing surprising; she had done it before during their late-night readings when she was but a teenager with a crush. How he didn't know about it surprised even her.

Yawning and turning around she took in the sleeping form of Sirius Black. His secretive smirk. His lovely wild hair and how she wanted to run fingers through it. Why had he brought her up here to sleep next to him? A wicked idea came to her and she ran her fingers over his ticklish side that was revealed to her.

He jerked and she grinned at him, "good morning, Padfoot. Did I scare you?" She asked and he chuckled sleepily.

"You are not supposed to know about that," he grumbled and she smiled.

He pulled her to him and stared at her eyes, "how do you know these things? Did you really live that other life with us? Tell me something I would have never told anyone else." He murmured, sleep still living in his speech.

Her lips curved and she ran attentive fingers to his hip, "Moony bit you once here, there is a small scar but James and Peter were worried you might die. It was during one of his worse transformations." She paused and placed a hand right under his ear, her fingers playing in his hair. "If I nibble the skin right there, you get chills, but only on that side of your body." She traced her hands down to his chest and pressed on the big symbol there. "you got that for Moony. Your brother in arms. Your kin. Your marauder."

He watched her a moment, stunned by her accuracy. "You have stumped me." He said plainly and she smiled.

"When I was a girl, I misunderstood something you said. You told me that no living wizard was deserving of such a witch as myself. I took it harshly. As I grew older I realized that you were complimenting me greatly. It was a sadness I suffered with because you made it prophetic in a way." Hermione confessed and Sirius smirked at her and tucked some of the loose strands from her face.

"Do you realize you captivate the very space you occupy when you walk into a room?" His voice was tender and sweet.

"Are we boosting egos, Sirius?" She teased and he shook his head.

"I had read up to the part where you talk about your scar, Hermione. You admit your lot in life to serve others. I am so glad I do not have to repeat the sin of not being here. There is something so soft and delicate about you. Something tender buried deep for those who look under the layers." He whispered and she blushed.

"Don't talk about what is in my knickers, Sirius," she tried to lighten the mood and he laughed and shook his head.

"Here I am being sentimental and you are talking about knickers... well, you are here," he grumbled and ran a hand over her waist.

He watched her eyes search his, they were looking for something and it bothered him. "Did I touch you inappropriately?" His voice unsure as he pulled his hand away.

"Would... would you like to shag me, Sirius?" She asked and he pursed his lips.

"I wish you wouldn't ask that of me yet, Hermione. I promised Moony I wouldn't yet." He told her and she let out a sound of annoyance.

"I want you to fuck me, Sirius, not marry me," she snapped and climbed out of bed. "it isn't like that isn't your forte," she spat with a harsh jab and left his room.

When she was standing outside his bedroom the witch glanced back at the door. She wanted to go apologize but she just couldn't. These just weren't her marauders. Hermione had to get away from this madness she was digging herself in. She was in love with two very different sets of men. It was that simple. The witch felt like cold water was dumped on her at that realization and she tripped down the stairs.

Rushing into her room she gasped and tears ran down her face. Hermione knew she couldn't stay here. It was too painful to go through such heartsickness. She wanted them both so badly and their compliments only made her fall further. The woman couldn't deal. Writing out a note and sending it promptly with her owl, she packed her things up in bags. She got dressed and nodded while she grabbed them.

While she was making her way down the stairs, she was greeted by Remus. He was smiling at her until he saw her bags. "Where are you going, Hermione?" He inquired and she shook her head.

"I was wrong, Remus. I cannot live here with you both. It is too painful. I will see you soon," she told him and started walking to the front door.

He took her arm and made her look at him, "what happened?" He asked with sympathetic eyes.

"I can't keep believing that things are the same when they clearly aren't. I will see you both tonight. Have a good day," she murmured and pulled away from him.

He frowned and watched her open the door. She set her bags outside and just stared at him for a moment. "Don't go, please?" He asked her and she walked out.

Sirius padded down the stairs with a smile and had a flower in his hand, "Moony, where is our girl?" He questioned and Remus rubbed his face in befuddlement.

"She just left. Took her things and left." Remus still had disbelief in his voice.

"What?" Sirius was punched in the gut. "I just meant yet... I didn't mean never..." His face skewed unnaturally and Remus tilted his head. "I told her I couldn't shag her. You asked me not to. I didn't say never or even not tonight. I was planning on wooing her..." The animagus looked crushed by her absence and the werewolf exhaled heavily.

"I need to read this book, Sirius. Something is in it that we are missing, clearly." His voice was strained.

The animagus rubbed his face, "Obviously, Moony. Why was she so upset with me?"

"I miss this bond and I don't even know what it feels like, Pads." Remus said wistfully and nodded, "alright, let's bring it to the table and take turns. We need to find out this tale she had woven with us in another life."

0o0o

Hermione was sitting with Ginny and drinking her tea, "Hermione, you cannot expect them to be in love with you. That is harsh and unreasonable!" The redhead chided her and Hermione bobbed her head.

"I know, Gin. I cannot help it though. The way they look at me is similar. The way they touch me is fire... the way they treat and talk to me is completely different." Hermione admitted and chewed her bottom lip.

Ginny made her red hair jiggle around her in disagreement. "Mione, I love you, but you are stubborn. The marauders had two weeks in your dreams to pine for you. To listen to your mind in sleep. To watch you like sentinels and care for you. These wizards are their own people. They have no attachment to you. You are being harsh." Another dose of scolding seemed to sink the brown-haired witch deeply in her chair.

"I gave Sirius my book," Hermione admitted and Ginny glared.

"You are absolutely certifiable, Hermione."

Hermione pressed her head to the table and James pounded his hands on the table. "No, Aunt Mione. No!" He shouted at her and Hermione tapped her forehead on the table a few times.

"Shag Malfoy again," Ginny ordered and Hermione lifted her face back up to meet her.

Her glower was intense and Ginny raised an eyebrow, "are you insane?" Hermione asked and Ginny nodded with a grin.

"Date him. Shag him. Get all of this business out of your head. Leave the marauders alone." Ginny's voice was almost threatening. "I like Draco. He enjoys your company and despite him saying he isn't interested in you, he very much is. Who knows, he may actually want to marry into your craziness. Leave well enough alone, you already did the impossible, why kill yourself over fantasies?"

Hermione sighed heavily and nodded, "alright, Ginny. I will see if he is interested tonight."

0o0o

"I had been arguing with Ron for three days. The type of arguing you do when you are cleaning out closets of rubbish built in years of complacency. When did we fall out of love? I wasn't sure but I knew I was not in love with him any longer. I asked him simply if he would risk to bring me back to life even if it meant chancing his and he could not answer. We had agreed that it was an empty investment to go further. Neither of us were happy and I kept thinking about them. I couldn't stop myself; I never could, really. They were so different with me now." Remus paused and frowned over at the animagus who was sipping his tea.

"That is a dark blemish in our theory of her just adoring us because of a dream, isn't it?" Sirius asked and Remus nodded.

"They did not know. They had not one clue that I was gone for with a crush that would make teenagers look sane. I always had. The amicable werewolf with his mannerisms that make you wonder how he became so inherently sweet. His kindness never further than it needed to be, but always available for hard moments. There were hidden cravings he must not speak of, but I knew. How could I not? We were similar, I needed to feel them too." Remus had to clear his throat at the idea of Hermione speaking so fondly of him.

"The devilish man with gray eyes. Even a bookish girl like me knew through his ploys of indecency that he was a living emotional being. Tempestuous like the thunderstorm that makes your heart race along with it as you wanted to join the chaos. I would wonder about him often. What was in his heart of hearts? How does one become so venereal in the same thrum of being so tender? I am not quite positive." The werewolf placed the book on his table, his cheeks red.

"Well, that was very exotic for our little Hermione, Moony," Sirius's voice filled with playfulness.

Remus exhaled, a low guttural sound followed out his breath, "Padfoot. This girl has been fond of us for ages. This book is a hard read," Remus murmured and his cheeks were still very pink.

Sirius yanked the book to him and smirked, "it is just getting good, Moony. Let me have a look!"

Sirius lounged in his chair and raised an eyebrow before speaking, "after my tipsy slips of the tongue in reference to not performing a muffling charm strong enough with the twins so he would hear... wait for a tick!" Sirius gasped and his eyes went to the werewolf.

Remus furrowed his brow and swallowed hard, "what a naughty little witch!" He hissed and Sirius barked out a stream of laughter.

Sirius held up a finger and continued, "and my ploy to kiss said animagus, I ousted myself, rightfully so. I knew it was wrong, those poor marauders had no clue that I was not as wholesome as Hermione Granger was thought as. The bravery soon cleared the air when Ginny left us and I resorted to tucking my tail between my legs and running up the stairs for a shower."

"That was not the only excitement for the evening. That was the night I found through research and through my own fears... my scars would be my own death. I hid that fact from all of them, I had to. I just wanted to spend a few precious moments of what was left of them. We went to bed and slept together. No shagging or even heated moments, just them resting peacefully next to me. If I had to die for them, I at least wanted to be as close as I would allow myself, but not enough for them to be crushed when I did have to let go." Sirius stopped and pursed his lips in a pain filled expression.

"This woman... she really did- does- did... she loves us, Moony. She always had, even at an appropriate distance." Sirius spoke and Remus rubbed his face.

"What do you even call that, Padfoot? We were twenty years her senior. We still are quite a jump from her age group. Do you know how she would be looked at if we even opened this door? She would be seen horribly. We would be seen as greedy, but I doubt either of us care about that. I care about her and her well-being. She engaged with us last time knowing she was dying, the living are far more complex. How are we supposed to make her happy when we cannot even agree?" Remus was on a rant and Sirius knew how to stop him.

The animagus stood up, leaned over to him and kissed the werewolf making him growl and push him away. "Puff," Sirius teased him and the werewolf shoved him again.

Remus's voice was a rumble of distaste, "you are such a wanker, Padfoot."

"Moony, if you want me to bend over for you, you need to be nicer to me." Sirius taunted and the werewolf groaned.

"Stop distracting me with your complete rubbish, Sirius. We need to talk about this so we can ask her to come home." Remus spat his words and wiped his lips again.

The animagus sighed and put his chin on his hands when he sat, "how? What do we say? Come home, we want to try to shag you and make you happy? We want you to start over with us and let us charm you with this version of us?"

Remus shook a finger at him and voice simply, "yes, that is exactly what we do. We want to show her that we don't need a bond for us to be attracted to her. We have failed thus far, but that isn't really a fault to be placed on anyone. I have had my own issues with my attractions. She is a young woman and shouldn't be flirting with two old marauders, but she must enjoy our company. Why fight it then? She knows the difference obviously."

Sirius grinned wolfishly and huffed, "oh I do love when you talk dirty Moony. Does that mean we can share this beautiful deviant-minded witch together?"

The werewolf lounged and bit the inside of his cheek before answering, "quite possibly. We at least should take our time and adjust to such a bloody mental idea, but what do we have to lose? She obviously has the experience," he finished with a grin and Sirius sat up and laughed.

"Now we are talking, Moony. Let's attempt to tempt the little siren back home?" The werewolf nodded in agreement and the marauders started to ready themselves for the dinner at the Burrow.