A/N: Hello new readers and those who have stuck with me from the beginning! Happy reading :) And please review!

Chapter 25: A Revelation

February 20th 1978 (Monday)

Monday started with a double DADA class, and the NEWT students were practicing duelling again. This time Hermione was paired with a slightly ill looking Remus. Even though she knew the full moon would be on Thursday, she only now realised how affected he was even so many days before the full moon. She could see him trying to put on a cheerful face, even though he probably felt quite awful.

"Remus…You okay?" She whispered as the others paired up around them.

He frowned at her. "Yeah."

"You look a bit ill. Shouldn't you go resting?"

His eyes narrowed a bit. "Please stop, Hermione. Let's just start with the duel," He said harshly.

Hermione blanched. "Okay," She said quietly and they took their positions.

After the duelling formalities, they started throwing jinxes and hexes in a slow pace. Hermione tried to attack as little as possible, as she saw how much effort it took for him to cast a basic shield charm. He went paler, breathed heavier, and Hermione knew she had to do something, before Remus would pass out. She shot a helpless look at Sirius, who was partnered with a Ravenclaw near them, and beckoned him over.

"What is it?" Sirius came to them, his eyes focusing at his friend. "Moony…You are supposed to take it easy," He hissed to him. Remus rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sirius turned to Hermione. "Go to Prewett. Tell him I'll take Remus to the hospital wing," He said tensely.

"Pads, I'm fine. I can take care of myself." Remus said quietly, trying not to draw attention to them.

Sirius merely lifted his brows at him and turned to Hermione again, gesturing for her to move.

"Oh. Okay, I'll go." She said, slightly taken aback.

As she was walking between the duelling students towards Gideon, Mary grabbed her hand. She had been duelling Lily, and both girls eyed Hermione with curiosity and worry.

"Mione? What's going on? Is Remus okay?" Mary asked with confusion, nodding towards Sirius and Remus who were bickering in the back of the classroom.

"Oh, um, he's just a bit ill, I think. I'm just going to inform Prewett about it," Hermione said and tried to smile reassuringly. Mary frowned.

"Can you…go with him?" Mary asked hesitantly. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek in hesitation.

"Mione…Please? He's been acting weird lately, and he won't talk to me about what's bothering him…" Mary whispered with a confused expression.

Lily and Hermione shared a wary look.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go," Hermione smiled. "I'll see you at lunch."

She left the class after informing Gideon about Remus, and spotted Sirius and Remus walking further along the corridor. Gideon seemed be aware of Remus's illness, and had only replied that Remus was lucky to have such good friends to take care of him before he had waved her off and returned his focus on the duellers in his class.

"Hey, can I help?" Hermione said as she fell into step with the boys.

Both of them eyed her in surprise.

"Why are you here?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Well, since someone has been acting like a stubborn little boyfriend recently, Mary asked me to go with you," She said softly, smiling at Remus who frowned and looked away.

Sirius smirked. "Yep, that's our Moony," He said as they walked forward. "He's been speaking Welsh all night and morning." Sirius said with a dry chuckle.

"Told him to come here straight away but the sad sod wanted to go gambling." Sirius muttered as they neared the hospital wing.

"I'm right here, Pads." Remus said dryly, and entered the hospital wing with a huff, while Sirius merely shook his head with amusement.

"After you," Sirius said to Hermione, holding the door politely.

Hermione nodded and followed Remus in. Madam Pomfrey had him already sitting on one of the hospital beds, and was in the process of asking him a set of questions that seemed to be a regularity between them.

"So…Is this normal?" Hermione asked with puzzlement as she stood next to Sirius, slightly further away from Remus's bed in order to give the matron space to work. Of course she knew Remus wasn't in his full strength during the days before the full moon, but she hadn't known that he would have to stop by in the Hospital wing to take some potions to make himself feel better.

Sirius shrugged. "Sometimes." He said simply. Hermione could see concern edged on his face.

"He's just having a hard time accepting the effects of his illness every once in a while," He muttered, glancing at Hermione.

She understood. Remus didn't want to back out from the duelling class, because he didn't want his illness to affect his school grades, or his life.

"I just wish there was something I could do to help him…You know?" Sirius muttered with a sigh, his eyes trained at his friend on the hospital bed, who probably heard every word they said, thanks to his lupine hearing.

Hermione eyed Sirius thoughtfully. She knew the boys had done so much already to help Remus by accompanying him in their Animagus forms during the full moon, but of course she couldn't say anything about the matter. But perhaps there was something more that could be done to help Remus through the full moons. And she possibly had a solution to that.

"What?" Sirius asked, shifting awkwardly as she still stared him.

"Oh, nothing. I was just…thinking about something." She explained vaguely.

The truth was that she had been alone in the Grimmauld Place library the day before, and had browsed through the endless bookshelves, ending up with a book about advanced potions and poisons.

In the end, the book itself hadn't held her interest so much as the photograph that had fallen from the middle of it. It was of the Black family – Sirius wasn't in the photo, naturally. They were sitting, rather stiffly on her opinion, with another family, discussing something as the picture moved.

"What's this?" Hermione muttered as she studied the picture, and after staring it for a while, she turned it over. There was writing on the back of it, and she had to squint in order to read the text.

"Belby…" She said softly.

"I know that name…Where do I know that name from?" She muttered, eyeing around her in the empty library. Nothing came to her mind, and eventually she abandoned the book and left towards the Gryffindor tower.

As she was lying in her own bed that night, ready to go to sleep, it came to her.

Damocles Belby, the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion.

In the morning, she had sent a message to Regulus to ask if he could meet her in the Room of Requirement after lunch, before their afternoon classes. She hoped he could help her to get in touch with Damocles Belby.

After a while, Madam Pomfrey retreated back to her office, ordering Remus to stay in the hospital wing until dinnertime, and urged him to come back again if he felt ill.

"Well, I'm off to have some fresh air," Sirius said and took a pack of cigarettes from his pockets, chuckling as Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval.

"Cheers then," He said with a wave and exited the hospital wing. Hermione and Remus waved at him before she sat down next to Remus's bed. She eyed him with a stern look in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," Remus muttered with an annoyed voice.

Hermione merely smiled at him. Boys…

"Why didn't you tell me you're seeing him?" Remus asked suddenly, eyeing her searchingly.

"What?" Hermione asked, her smile faltering.

"You know what I'm talking about…You do know I…smelled you…on Saturday," He said awkwardly, grimacing at the words.

She flushed bright red. "Merlin…This is so embarrassing."

"Tell me about it," He grumbled.

Hermione sighed. "I guess that…I wanted to tell Sirius first, but…he sort of figured it out," She said slowly.

Remus nodded. "So…you're together? You and Regulus?"

"No…I don't know…It's complicated." Hermione said with a frown.

Remus laughed. "I thought my life was complicated."

Hermione joined his laughter. Oh Remus…You have no idea…

They were silent for a while before she spoke. "Have you, um…heard about the Wolfsbane Potion?" Hermione asked vaguely.

He gave her a perplexed look. "Yeah. Heard rumours of it. Why do you ask?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione shrugged. "No reason." She said innocently, and Remus didn't press the issue any further.

"What about you and Mary? What's going on between you two?" She asked after another moment of silence.

Remus groaned. "I dunno." He said and sighed. "I like her. A lot…It's just that...I want to tell her about me. About my illness. But…"

"You're afraid she runs to the hills?" She finished the sentence for him, eyeing him with a sad smile.

He looked at his lap. "Yeah."

"She won't. I know her. Yes, she might freak out a bit but she will see past that. Trust me." Hermione said with a reassuring look in her eyes.

Remus didn't say anything, but only stared ahead in thought.

After lunch, and reassuring Mary that everything was okay with her boyfriend, Hermione met with Regulus in the Room of Requirement.

"Is everything okay?" Regulus asked as he entered the room, which was transfigured to match the Ravenclaw common room this time. Hermione was examining the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw and turned to smile shyly at him as she heard him speak. She hadn't still quite wrapped her head around what had happened between them during weekend. His mouth curved a bit and as he came to stand next to her, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone.

"Yes," she said, blushing under his gaze.

"Why are we in the Ravenclaw tower?" He asked absently as he observed her flushed features with a small smile playing on his lips.

Hermione shrugged. "No reason."

He arched a brow but said nothing. "So…Why am I here?" he murmured, staring at her intently.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Actually…There's something I wanted to talk to you about," She said and turned to search her schoolbag. "Ah-ha," She muttered after a moment, pulled out a moving photograph and handed it to him.

"Where did you get this?" He asked slowly. There was a small frown between his brows as he stared at the picture. It was the photograph in which Regulus sat with his parents, along with Damocles Belby and his family.

She cringed a bit. "I, uh…might've looked around a bit in your library," She said innocently.

He smirked at her. "Okay. And this?" He lifted the photograph.

"Well…I found it between some old potions book, and then I recognised the man in the picture. That is Damocles Belby, right?" She explained, eyeing Regulus carefully.

Regulus stared at her with an unreadable expression. "How do you know him?"

Hermione bit her lip. What should she say to him? "Er…He's the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion," She said awkwardly.

Regulus's gaze hardened. "I know."

Hermione shifted in her place. "Are you…friends with him?" She asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. "We're in speaking terms."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay…"

"What is it that you wish to achieve, Hermione?" He asked bluntly.

Merlin…He really wasn't making this easy. And she clearly had to tell him something…

"I…I have a friend. Who would benefit a lot if he –"

"You mean Lupin?" He asked sharply.

Hermione blanched. "You…know about him?" She asked, the puzzlement evident in her voice.

Regulus nodded.

"Oh."

"So…You want me to contact him? Belby?" He asked, staring at her with a piercing gaze. She had a feeling he knew her every thought by merely looking at her.

Her brows lifted slightly, a flicker of hope crossing through her. "Could you? I mean, I would like to know if the potion is going into production soon, or if it is already, or if it's still in a testing phase." She babbled.

He gave her a curt nod. "Yeah, okay. I'll owl him."

Hermione smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you." She said and leaned to kiss him.

Regulus immediately answered the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him, a move that had her sigh affectionately into his mouth. Her hands found their way into his silky hair, tugging it every time he nipped and sucked her lips. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she tasted him back. The kiss had quickly turned into a heated one, and as their stifled moans echoed through the room, their bodies wound around each other more tightly, their hips bucking against one another.

Regulus suddenly grinned against her lips, breaking their moment of passion, leaving them both panting heavily against each other's mouths.

"We'll miss classes, love." he murmured as his hands stroked her sides.

Hermione sighed disappointedly. "Yeah. I'd better go if I want to make it into the greenrooms in time. What do you have?" She asked, smoothed her hands affectionately through his hair, before placing them to rest against his shoulders. He took her hands in his and kissed her fingertips.

"Potions," he said, giving her lips a final soft kiss before they parted their ways.

Dinner went slowly by, and Hermione was starting to feel anxious – she was going to meet Dumbledore, McGonagall and Gideon afterwards at the Headmaster's office. On Sunday, she had sent a note to the Headmaster as soon as she had woken up and gathered enough strength to get up from bed, and Dumbledore had then suggested that they'd meet on Monday after dinner. As their plans to gather had come in such a short notice, Fabian wasn't able to join them this time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Marauders who were sniggering near her. She was sitting on her usual seat, across from Lily and between Mary and Marlene. James and Sirius sat on Lily's other side with Remus and Peter opposite to them.

"You seriously told the Professor a dog ate your homework? And you expected him to believe it?" Lily asked from Peter incredulously. Peter shrugged helplessly back, while the rest of the Marauders laughed.

"Oh, great…" Mary grumbled after glancing at Sirius, who looked overjoyed by the pun and was grinning at Lily. Hermione swore she heard everyone in their table let out a frustrated groan.

"No Lils, Pete here told the Professor a dog ate his homework," He said and winked at the redhead. The boys smirked to each other.

Lily sent a glare at Sirius's direction and turned back to Peter.

"Did you get detention?" She asked from Peter, shaking her head in exasperation.

Peter nodded.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I hope you learn something from this, Pete. It's not very beneficial to leave your homework undone," Sirius scolded him teasingly, while James and Remus both suppressed their grins.

"But…I didn't leave it undone," Peter argued weakly. Sirius, James and Remus continued laughing.

Oh. Very funny. Hermione thought dryly.

"You are one to talk…In how many detentions have you boys been since the start of our seventh year?" Alice asked from the Marauders, her brow arched in a knowing look.

"I'm pretty sure the question is directed to you two," Remus said and smirked at Sirius and James.

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. Something around twelve…Or perhaps fifteen?" He said and tapped his finger against his lips, looking thoughtful. James chuckled next to him while Lily glared at them. "But I have to say Prongs and I have never received a detention because of such a lame-arsed excuse as Pete has." Sirius continued and exchanged a wolfish grin with James.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hey, Pete? Next time a dog eats your homework, come to me okay?" Hermione asked, smiling sweetly at Peter, and then turned her eyes to Sirius before she continued, "I'll hunt it down." She said with narrowed eyes. Sirius flinched and averted his eyes, and the boys eyed each other nervously.

After dinner Hermione walked quickly towards the Headmaster's office, and after entering, she sat down next to McGonagall and Gideon.

"So, Hermione. I believe you have some news for us?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly at Hermione.

She nodded. "It's about the last Horcrux. The one we don't know about," She said quickly, when the others eyed her with interest.

"I stumbled into Rowena Ravenclaw's statue the other day, and saw the Diadem on her head. At first, I thought nothing of it, but then I recalled what was said about it in the Hogwarts, A History. That it was the only known relic that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. And that the legend says it is the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw." She explained enthusiastically.

McGonagall lifted her brows. "Of course…The Diadem of Ravenclaw." She said, while Dumbledore merely smiled.

"So…You reckon it could be a Horcrux?" Gideon asked, turning to look at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "It would make sense, as Voldemort has gathered some powerful magical objects from the other houses. But…there is another possibility, if we are thinking specifically about the known relics belonging to the founders of Hogwarts." He muttered, eyeing the others.

"The sword of Gryffindor." Hermione said and Dumbledore nodded.

She shook her head. "No. Only a true Gryffindor would even be able to acquire the sword, and then there's the fact that I know it wasn't a Horcrux." She explained.

"How?" McGonagall asked.

"We used it to destroy one." She said simply, while the others frowned. Hermione sighed. "You remember Harry? Well…He killed the Basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor, and as the sword is goblin made, it –"

"Only takes in that which makes it stronger," Dumbledore finished quietly.

Gideon gave Hermione a baffled look. "When was this? I thought the Basilisk was defeated when you were in school?"

"Yes. It was our second year. Harry was twelve." Hermione said quietly.

McGonagall and Gideon gaped at her. "Twelve…" McGonagall exclaimed with a horrified expression.

Hermione nodded grimly. "So…The sword can be factored out." She said hesitantly.

Dumbledore nodded with a solemn look on his face.

"Perhaps we could now start to inspect the possibility that Voldemort has somehow managed to find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw." He finally said, after a moment of silence.

Hermione, Gideon and McGonagall all nodded at him before they continued into other topics.

"What were you doing in the Ravenclaw Tower?" Gideon asked nonchalantly as Hermione walked with him away from the Headmaster's office.

She lifted her brows in surprise. "How did you…Oh. The statue." She said with comprehension.

He nodded as his mouth curved a bit.

"I, uh…well. I was in a gathering of sorts…" She said vaguely.

Gideon laughed. "You were in the Quidditch party last Saturday, right?"

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

It wasn't that parties were banned in the school, but this particular party had gotten a bit out of hand, as several students were caught wandering through the halls after curfew, on their way to their own dorms. Hermione was a bit surprised that their group had managed to get into their tower without being seen.

February 25th 1978 (Saturday)

"How's the wedding planning going?" Mary asked from Alice as they sat down in the small and steamy teashop of Madam Puddifoot's.

Hermione didn't really fancy the place, and had actually managed to avoid it…until now at least. The girls had wanted to go somewhere else than the pub for a change, and since there weren't really any other options, they'd come into the cramped teashop, which was decorated with frills, lace and bows. There were winged cherubs, left from the Valentine's Day celebrations, hovering over the tables and throwing pink confetti here and there.

Hermione noticed that the place was crowded with couples who were holding hands. She tried to push away the bitter thought of never really having the opportunity to date. She never had had the time, and now…it was complicated. It really seemed like a lifetime ago, when she had wished that Ron would've taken her there, and held her hand. He had chosen someone else, and then she was thrown into a never-ending Horcrux hunt.

"Well, still fighting with Frank's mother, about everything it seems," Alice replied with a frustrated sigh. "Although now we've agreed that I can wear whichever dress I want. That at least is something I get to decide on," She said with a dry chuckle.

"I mean, it's a farce." Alice continued, rolling her eyes. "But Frank's worth it," She said with a smile.

Marlene chuckled. "So, everything's good in that front?" She asked with a wink.

"Yep," Alice smiled shyly.

Hermione and Lily grinned at their friend.

"What about the bridesmaids dresses?" Mary asked suddenly.

Alice looked a bit uncomfortable. "Eh…Augusta picked them already," She said with a slight grimace, her eyes flickering away from Mary.

"Allie…" Mary said warningly. "Please tell me they are not the horrible tablecloths we laughed at, hmm?" She asked, with a hint of fear in her voice.

Alice winced. "Do you want me to lie?" She asked while shrinking back in her chair.

Lily, Hermione and Marlene tried to keep a straight face. Mary was the only bridesmaid from their group, as Augusta had insisted Alice should have only two bridesmaids, and the other one had to come from Frank's side.

While Mary scowled at the table, the girls continued their talk. "When's the big day?" Hermione asked and took a sip of her tea.

"July 15th, and you're all invited. You will receive official invitations later." Alice said promptly.

"And the venue?" Lily asked carefully, evidently remembering her friend's unenthusiasm towards the place.

Alice made a face. "Well, it's the Old Mill, in Reading, Berkshire. I went to see the place on our last Hogsmeade visit, and, well…I have to say that I thought it would be much, much worse than it was." She said with a shrug.

"So…I reckon the plans are going quite well then? I mean, you have already decided on the venue, the guests and the day?" Hermione asked kindly and Alice nodded.

"Although…I still don't have a dress…" She said with a worried look. "I actually wanted to go to Gladrags today, to see if they have any appropriate dresses, and whether it's possible to order them there for a fitting." She muttered while Lily and Marlene looked at her with enthusiasm.

"Can we come? Oh, I love wedding dresses!" Lily squeaked. Marlene nodded in agreement. Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at their dreamy expressions.

Alice laughed. "Yeah, I was actually counting on that. You didn't think I'd go alone there, or with my sulking bridesmaid?" Alice said teasingly, giving Mary a nudge and smirking at her.

Mary stuck her tongue out at her but smiled back nonetheless.

They left towards the Gladrags Wizardwear after a while. The main road was almost empty, and everyone seemed to have escaped the cold weather inside the shops and pubs. Snow was slowly falling to the ground, and the village looked quite peaceful, wrapped up in a snowy blanket.

"How's Remus?" Hermione asked from Mary as they browsed through a clothing rack in the Gladrags Wizardwear. The girls had divided into two groups, searching suitable dresses for Alice. Hermione and Mary searched one side of the shop while Lily, Alice and Marlene went through the other.

Mary shrugged. "Dunno…He's been pretty distant lately. And now he's taken ill." She said with a frown. "I know there's something he's not telling me, and it's like…He's gathering courage to spill the bloody thing out for me."

Hermione sighed. "I'm sure he talks to you when he's ready," She said comfortingly.

"That's just it…I think what he's itching to say is that he wants to break up with me." Mary said and bit her lip, looking helplessly at her friend.

"I'm sure that's not it. Just the other day he told me how much he likes you." Hermione said consolingly.

Mary gave her a small smile and sighed. "Fucking men."

"Yeah."

They didn't find any suitable dresses from the shop, and while Alice went to have a chat with the shopkeeper and to go through a dress catalogue, the rest of the girls waited in the seating area near the changing rooms.

"So, what about you, Mione?" Mary asked. "How's your dating life?" She asked, continuing their conversation about relationships.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing to tell."

"Really?" Lily asked teasingly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her. Mary and Marlene eyed them curiously, but said nothing.

"Well, I for one have something to divulge." Marlene said with a smirk. "I'm dating Giles. Exclusively." She said proudly.

Mary, Lily and Hermione frowned.

"Who's Giles?" Mary asked after a moment.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "The bloke from Ravenclaw?" She said simply. When the others were still staring at her in confusion, she continued, "The one I shagged last weekend." She said exasperatedly.

"Ooh..." The girls finally said in comprehension. Marlene narrowed her eyes at them.

"You're like a couple now?" Alice asked behind them, eyeing Marlene cheerfully.

Marlene nodded. "Yeah."

"Great! I'll change your invite to plus one." Alice said excitedly.

"What? I didn't have a plus one?" Marlene asked, looking affronted.

Alice looked a bit troublesome. "Well…You know…You haven't been going that steady with anyone since the thing with you and Sirius ended and I just…" She stammered, looking uncomfortable.

Marlene cracked a smile. "I'm just messing with you, Brown." She said and stood up, sniggering at Alice's expression, which turned quickly into annoyance. They left the clothing store and decided to have a quick lunch before leaving the village.

"When do you reckon James's going to pop the question?" Mary asked thoughtfully as they walked back to the castle.

Lily's eyes widened with dread and she whirled to look at Mary. "What? He hasn't said anything, has he?" She asked quickly, anxiety edged on her face.

Mary chuckled. "Well, since that's your reaction, I hope to Merlin he's not going to do it too soon," Mary said, smirking at her friend while Marlene and Alice laughed.

Lily heaved a sigh of relief and joined their laughter.

Hermione frowned. "You don't want him to propose? I mean, eventually?"

"Of course I want it to happen someday…But not now. I'm young, and I want to live properly before I become someone's wife…and mother." She said simply. "No offence, Allie," She added with a shrug.

Alice smiled at her. "None taken. And I've been with Frank for ages. We both know what we want." She said confidently and Hermione could only admire her. She wished she too had someone she was sure of. Or even someone she could talk about to the girls.

"But everything is good with James, right?" Hermione asked, still feeling a bit worried as she glanced at Lily who was walking next to her.

"Yeah, of course." Lily smiled. "I mean, he can be an extreme prat sometimes, but mainly he's adorable. I don't know why I waited this long for us to happen…" She muttered with a tender look.

Alice cracked a smile. "You were waiting for him to grow up a bit, or so we reckon." She said while Mary and Marlene nodded in agreement.

Lily shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Have you seen Snape?" Hermione asked and the others whirled to look at them.

Lily shrugged. "Not since last month at the library."

"What? You went to the library with him?" Mary asked in bewilderment. "Are you like…buddies now? How does James feel about it? You know they hate each other, right?"

"I think it's kind of sweet that he gave you a late Christmas present though." Alice said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but does that erase how he acted?" Marlene asked with a disapproving look.

Lily sighed. "I went to the library with Hermione, but he joined our company, and then we studied together. Nothing more. And James doesn't have a say who I'm friends with, but if it soothes you," She looked at Marlene pointedly, "I don't really see us going back to the way we were. Not after everything that has happened." She said wearily.

The others nodded awkwardly.

"But…I still forgave him." Lily said quietly.

Hermione gave her hand a squeeze. "I think you did the right thing. There's no point holding a grudge against someone." She said, speaking from experience. She had had to let go of many grudges after her arrival to this time.

The girls all went silent, and with thoughtful looks on their faces they continued their walk towards the school.

"I'm telling you, she didn't have any hair in, you know…down under," Sirius said with a wink, while James stared at him suspicion.

"Nothing?" Remus asked in bewilderment.

"Yep."

"Really?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"Oh…Fuck me." James muttered.

Sirius smirked. "Nah…I'll fuck her."

The boys chuckled.

"Although Prongs…Anytime you think Lily's not enough, don't hesitate to come to me." He said with a sincere look. "I'll make it worth your while," He said and sniggered when James sent a glare at him.

"Bugger off." James said with a huff.

"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?" Sirius replied with laughter in his voice, standing up from his armchair beside Remus's bed, a sly smirk plastered on his face as he approached James, who was sitting at the foot of the bed.

"By the way, interesting choice of words," Sirius said, grinning as he leaned closer to James.

James narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I swear to Merlin if you touch me, Pads, I'm gonna kick you square in the nuts," He growled.

Sirius barked a laugh and returned to his seat. Remus and Peter eyed their banter with amused grins.

"Just because it has to be said; Lily's quite adequate." James muttered with a challenging look.

Sirius smirked. "If she's as bossy in the sack as she's the rest of the time, I don't really doubt it," He said and shared a sly grin with Peter.

"Watch it," James said warningly. Remus grinned and shook his head in amusement.

They started talking about Quidditch and the approaching match that was to be played between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"I reckon we don't have anything to worry about." Sirius said with a shrug.

Remus frowned. "But you have to admit, Pads, they've put together quite a team this year."

"Yeah, I'm with Moony on this one. You can never be too careful," James muttered. "Although the last game did give some perspective about their game style and how aggressive they are in the pitch..." He said thoughtfully.

"By the way, do you reckon Hermione knows about us?" James asked, eyeing Sirius and Peter. "You know, the way she spoke the other day…" He said and frowned.

Sirius looked thoughtful. "Dunno actually. I mean, she knows about Moony, but I never told her about him or the rest of us," He said with a shrug.

"Maybe you could, I don't know…ask her?" Remus suggested.

James snorted. "What? 'Hey, Hermione. Did ya know we're all animals?'"

Sirius smirked. "Some more than others if the rumours are true," He said and gave Remus a wicked grin. Remus groaned while James and Peter laughed.

"No, well, I don't really know a subtle way of asking if she knows about you guys, without making her suspicious, so…Perhaps we'll just have to wait and look closely how she reacts when either one of you dickheads throws your stupid jokes around her." Remus said exasperatedly, while the others still chuckled.

Hermione was waiting for Regulus in the Room of Requirement's version of the Gryffindor common room. He had sent her a message to her charmed galleon earlier that day. His 'pen-pal' had replied to him, and Regulus had asked if they could meet in the Room of Requirement that night after dinner.

"Hey," He said and walked towards the sitting area in front of the fireplace where she was seated, in the corner of the couch, with her legs tucked under her.

"Hey," Hermione replied as he leaned to kiss her before sitting next to her.

"He replied?" Hermione asked and eyed him in anticipation. Regulus smirked at the excitement that was evident on her face.

He nodded and handed over a letter from his pocket. Hermione took it quickly and started to read, biting her lip in concentration as her eyes skimmed over the parchment. A small smile tugged his lips as he studied her features.

"Wow…This is…" She muttered, after finishing the letter.

"Yeah."

"So…he's searching for volunteer werewolves to study the effects of the Wolfsbane potion…" She muttered, her eyes moving fervently across the letter.

"If your friend is interested in joining the study, please contact me as soon as possible. We are hoping to start the experiment during the summer at the latest." Hermione read aloud, turning to look at Regulus with a wide grin.

"This is brilliant!" She cried, her mouth turned into a wide excited grin.

Regulus smirked. "If you say so."

Hermione shook her head in amazement. "I have to tell him! Reg…He'll be over the moon…" She rambled on enthusiastically and chuckled inwardly at the pun.

His mouth curved up into a small smile. "Well, go on then…"

Hermione pecked him on the cheek and jumped from the couch, sprinting away from the room, the letter clutched in her hand.

Hermione entered the hospital wing, glancing quickly around. The place was quiet, as it was too late for an official visiting hour. She sneaked behind the curtains of the bed she knew Remus was situated in, being the only bed that was occupied in the infirmary.

He was sleeping but stirred when he felt her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hermione?" He mumbled sleepily, frowning at her. He sat up quickly, the covers falling onto his lap and revealing his bare chest. "What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion, shifting awkwardly as Hermione's eyes moved down his chest, which was covered in bruises and cuts, some of them quite deep.

She cleared her throat and moved her eyes back to his, handing him the letter.

"What is this?" He muttered, taking the letter and reading it, his eyes widening as he went on. "W-What?" He mumbled, glancing at Hermione in a mix of shock and anxiety on his features. "Is this real? You're not taking the piss?"

Hermione nodded excitedly. "He is the inventor of the potion. And he wants you to join the testing before it goes into production. I guess there will be some others attending as well…" Hermione continued, and then eyed his reaction. "…Will you do it?" She asked hesitantly.

Remus barked a laugh. "Will I do it? Of course I'll do it!" He cried, and quickly cringing when he remembered they were in the hospital wing and closed his mouth. After listening for a moment to make sure the matron wasn't alerted by the yelling, Hermione cast a silencing charm around them, so they could continue their talk freely.

"How?" Remus asked, eyeing Hermione intently after re-reading the letter.

Hermione shrugged. "He's friends with Regulus…I asked him to contact Belby, to merely ask in which phase the potion is at the moment," Hermione said. "I didn't assume he'd suggest for you to join the experiment." Although, Hermione had started to suspect that maybe Regulus had asked for more than a simple question.

Remus shook his head in awe. "Thank you," He said and stared into her eyes with such sincerity and gratitude that made her almost avert her eyes.

"Don't thank me yet. It might not work, you never know…" Hermione said with a smile. It would work. She was sure of it.

He chuckled. "Even the possibility of something that might make this easier for me, is something I'm grateful for." He said and smiled at her with admiration.

"I'll let him know then, and perhaps he can contact you after that?" Hermione asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, of course," Remus said with a dazed voice, still a bit taken aback by the news.

March 3rd 1978 (Friday)

Hermione was standing in the cave, accompanied by Gideon, Fabian, McGonagall and Dumbledore. It was the first time they were there since destroying the Ring.

"I swear this place gives me the creeps…" Fabian muttered as he put an assortment of potions on a small table they had conjured next to a pair of armchairs.

The general mood amongst them was not as cheerful as it had been last year, as their near failure the month before was still darkening their thoughts.

"It's going to be okay, Fabian." Hermione said reassuringly, although she herself was feeling rather unsure about how things would escalate.

Gideon eyed them for a moment. "Are you guys ready for this?" He asked and glanced at McGonagall and Dumbledore who were waiting for them further along the vast cave.

"Yeah, of course, brother." Fabian said. "I mean, slaying fiery beasts is what I live for…" He said with a wink, walking past Gideon, who smirked back at his brother.

"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Hermione merely nodded and followed Fabian.

Later on, she reckoned that perhaps she should've said that she wasn't in fact ready for it. She also later wondered if she would ever be ready for it. Everything had gone quite alright, until it was her turn to cast the curse. Somehow, she had lost her focus and had almost ended up being eaten by a fiery Chimaera. As she had been staring stonily at the approaching cursed fire, the only thing she had thought was that if she died, she could finally be reunited with Harry, Ron, and her parents.

What had happened afterwards was a big blur in her head. Dumbledore had put out the flames, but not before it had touched her skin. As Hermione had been screaming in agony and pain, Gideon had carried her quickly onto the couch and poured some potions down her throat before mending the wounds in her hands and chest with the help of the others.

They had decided to end their practice on that note, and as Hermione had rested miserably on the couch, staring at the cave ceiling before she was allowed to travel back to the castle, she tried not think of anything. It wasn't that she was badly injured or at least nothing a little magic and potions couldn't cure, but what bothered her was the emotional turmoil she was in. The dark magic was crawling inside her, trying to take a hold of her, darkening her mind and spirit.

When Gideon and Fabian escorted her to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione spoke nothing to them, only bid the two men good night and glanced at their worried expressions before she walked through the portrait hole into the dark and empty common room.

She slumped on the couch and stared at the embers of the fire. A moment later a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. What if she'd seen them?

She knew her Harry, her Ron and her parents weren't here. They were in a different universe. They could be dead for what she knew. More tears rolled down her cheeks. She let out a strangled moan as she began to cry in earnest, shuddering on the couch, her knees drawn up and hands draped around them, and she cried for the friends she had lost, the parents she no longer had, and her near-death experience. What frightened her the most, was the fact that for a small moment, she had considered it. Giving up. Letting go. Dying.

Her breath was stuttering when she tried to take deep breaths to calm down, and was unsuccessful.

"Mione?" Lily asked hesitantly, walking from their dorm, clad in her pyjamas. "What's wrong?" She asked with worry and walked the rest of her steps quickly as she noticed her shaken appearance.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Lily asked again anxiously, as Hermione continued crying, shuddering and staring ahead with an empty look on her face.

Lily looked around them helplessly before she sat down next to Hermione, hugging her close.

"Shh…It's okay, Mione. Just tell me what's wrong and we'll figure it out, okay?" She whispered, but nothing she did or said made any difference.

"Shite." Lily cursed under her breath, properly concerned now. "Let's go to the hospital wing, okay?" She asked, but Hermione didn't even look at her. It was like she was in some kind of a trance.

"What's going on?" Sirius's voice questioned as he exited the boys' dormitory, wearing only his pyjama bottoms.

Lily whirled to see him. "I don't know!" She exclaimed impatiently. "I found her like this a moment ago, and it's like she doesn't even realise I'm here!" She hissed to him, her eyes filled with worry and dread.

"What?" Sirius mumbled, walking quickly to see Hermione. Her hands were covering her face now, as she sobbed quietly, her shoulders shaking.

"Hermione? Kitten? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, prying her hands away from her face, holding them between his while kneeling in front of her.

"Hermione?" He asked again, and Hermione only shook her head, not looking at either of them, her tears slowly ebbing.

Sirius frowned. "Can I take you to the hospital wing?" He asked softly, while Lily was staring at them fearfully.

Hermione shook her head again, her eyes staring emptily ahead.

"Okay. Just…lie down okay?" Sirius said, and to his and Lily's surprise, she obeyed and went to lie down on the couch, her back turned to them.

"What now?" Lily whispered anxiously after Hermione closed her eyes and appeared to be resting.

Sirius shrugged. "Fuck if I know," He snapped quietly. "What the hell was wrong with her in the first place?" He muttered, glancing at Lily in bewilderment.

"I said I don't know! I just found her like that," She hissed to him, and he rolled his eyes, his eyes travelling to the table where Hermione's wand was lying on. There was a Galleon beside it, and for some reason, it piqued his interest.

"What's this?" He murmured, taking the coin in his hand. "A fake galleon?"

"Oh, that's just a way of communicating. The other girls and I have similar ones, they are exact copies of hers." Lily explained. "Although…that does not look like the ones we have," she said absently, looking at the coin in Sirius's hand.

"That's because it isn't." He said grimly as he read the coin.

You okay? –RB

"Is that…" Lily started but didn't finish as Sirius grabbed his own wand and sent a message through the coin.

What the fuck did you do to her? –SB

"Sirius…" Lily said warningly. "You shouldn't." She said but there was a hint of doubt on her voice. What if it was Regulus who had caused Hermione to have that kind of a breakdown?

Where is she? –RB

She's safe. –SB

"If that fucking piece of shit has done something to her, I'm gonna kill him." Sirius growled angrily, pacing in front of the fire. Lily eyed him warily, but said nothing.

Moments later, Hermione turned to look at the fireplace, still not speaking anything, or even looking at Lily or Sirius. Every now and then a tear escaped from her eye and when Lily was suggesting she'd go to get Madam Pomfrey to them, the portrait of their common room opened. Regulus came inside, frowning at the assembly in front of the fire.

"What's going on?" He asked cautiously, his eyes moving from Sirius to Lily, and finally resting on Hermione. "Hermione? Love?" He said quietly.

Sirius glared at him. "Did you do this to her?" He snarled, walking in front of his brother before he reached the sitting area.

"Of course not." Regulus said quietly, a small frown between his brows

Sirius hesitated. "Then what the fuck is wrong with her?" He hissed at his brother.

"Fuck if I know, Sirius. Calm down and let me talk to her," He said exasperatedly.

Sirius's nostrils flared a bit.

"Sirius…" Hermione croaked, and everyone turned to look at her. "I'm fine…just go to sleep, okay?" She said without looking at him.

"Hermione…" Lily whispered.

"You too Lily. I'll come up in a minute." She said softly, and Lily glanced at the others in confusion.

"Um…Okay." She said, glancing at Sirius and Regulus with a hint of warning in her eyes, as if she was ordering for them to behave before she left the common room.

"Hermione, are you sure?" Sirius asked, looking undecided.

She nodded.

Sirius sighed. "Okay then." Before he took a step towards his dormitory, he glanced at his brother. "Reggie." He said coldly, his eyes holding a clear warning.

Regulus nodded to his brother and sat down next to Hermione, who had moved into a sitting position.

"What's going on?" Regulus asked quietly and took her hand between his, tracing her wrist with his fingertips.

Hermione shivered a little. "Nothing." She merely replied, not looking at him.

"Don't lie to me. You were hurt." He said softly and glanced at the bracelet that was dangling on her wrist. "I felt it."

Hermione grimaced slightly but otherwise didn't react in any way.

"Tell me." He said. "I can feel it. The dark magic. What have you done, love?" He demanded with a hint of worry in his voice, but Hermione didn't reply, and merely turned to stare at him with a blank look.

"Legilimens," He whispered, and Hermione didn't have the strength to fight him. She didn't have the strength to be angry with him, as he delved through her mind like it was an open book. Or several books. She could only let the tears cascade down her cheeks as she saw everything that he saw. Which was too much. He'd seen too much. He saw everything.

"Fuck." He hissed abruptly and stumbled out from her mind, falling on his back on the couch. He stared at her in complete shock, in dread and horror. Hermione eyed him mutedly, her expression void of emotion.

"Now you know." She said softly, standing up and heading towards her dorm, leaving him alone in the dark common room.