DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.

Sirius raced James to the treehouse early next morning. Hermione and Remus followed at a lesiurely pace as Peter kept stopping to admire the scenic beauty of the forest very much like he had the last time, watching every tiny little bird flutter its wings at him and fly away, chirping to the sun.

'You lose!' James yelled, climbing into the little house.

Sirius huffed as he drew the strap of the bag around him and used its weight to push into James' back.

'Hey, what was that for?!'

Sirius laughed, 'You lose!'

'No, you do!'

'So do not!'

Peter shook his head and separated the two boys breathing down each other's face.

'Stop fighting, you lot.' He snickered, 'Two Gryffindors turning their backs on each other. You're bringing dishonour to Minnie.'

'Well, look at yourself. You'd obviously be this cheery since Dorcas agreed to go out with you.' Sirius grumbled.

James remarked, 'If only everyone of us was as lucky you are, Pete.'

The Maruaders chuckled and each took a seat around the little table in the kitchenette. Hermione called onto Blinky who served all sorts of sweets to the boys.

'Master Remy must eat. Always looking so frail. The wind could blow poor Master away if it tried.' Blinky fussed, placing more and more eclairs on Remus' plate.

Sirius cried, 'I told you! There's just something with all the elves. They just coddle him up, you know?'

Hermione smiled, 'He deserves to be coddled. He's the most charming marauder. The kindest and the sweetest.'

Sirius and James looked affronted as Peter barked out laughing. 'Remus, charming? My arse!'

James asked, 'Blinky, can you make us some copcorn like the muggles do? I read about it in a magazine but Mum hasn't got around to trying it yet.'

Blinky answered, 'Master Jamesie I is not sure what is copcorn.'

Hermione corrected, 'Its popcorn, James. Blinky, it's a Muggle snack. Will you be able to manage it?'

Blinky nodded her head excitedly, 'Of course, Missy Hermy. Blinky will have Tumble look into some Muggle cookbooks. Anything for small Missy and Masters.'

Peter chimed in, 'Well if we're going Muggle can we also have some marshmallows and some soda?'

Sirius jumped up, 'Oh and those tiny things.. Remus, what are those blue round things called?'

Remus shook his head fondly, 'They're called macaroons, Sirius.'

Sirius said, 'Aha, yes those too Blinky, please!'

Blinky clapped her hands and vanished appearing not ten minutes later with all the food as Coby, a new elf, helped her.

'Thank you so much, Blinky and Coby!' The kids chorused and dug in.

James mumbled contentedly, 'Ah, this is heavenly. Muggles have got their food right.'

They spent the entire day playing chess and exploding snap, once even leaving for a small lake canopied by tall oak trees for a dip into its waters.

When they returned and had dressed back into dry clothes, Hermione moved to one of the loveseats. 'So what did you guys want to show me?'

The boys broke into huge grins and suddenly settled down onto the floor around her.

Dusk had already set in. A faint smell of cinnamon and orange lingered in the air.

Sirius proudly proclaimed, 'What we are going to show you is our top most secret. We've been working on it since day one when Remus here kept grumbling about having trouble finding his way around Hogwarts.'

Remus nodded, 'Since you're an honorary Marauder anyway we figured you should know.'

Hermione smiled to herself. She knew what they were going on about.

Peter pulled out from his backpocket a faded piece of parchment and said, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

The boys all laughed as Hermione's surprised face broke into a smile. Schooling her expression into that of complete astonishment, she ooh'd and aah'd in all the right places.

'This is extremely advanced magic, boys. How did you manage it?'

James puffed out his chest in pride. 'Well, like we said Remus came up with the idea of a map. Then I thought if we were making one we should probably do it better than anyone ever could. After researching for an entire year we had discovered how to track people's movements inside a fixed perimeter. Sirius and Remus began on the Charmwork as Peter cast all the complex location spells. As for me, I oversaw the entire thing and designed the entire layout.'

Hermione was truly awed at witnessing their brilliance first hand. She only hoped the boys would one day present the map to Harry with equal fervour. That would certainly make him very happy.

'This is just brilliant! But all these secret passageways..?'

Peter grinned, 'We've been exploring since the day we arrived here.'

'You boys truly are something.'

She then looked expectantly at James, Sirius and Peter as Remus folded the map and put it aside.

Catching her eye James nodded nervously.

The three boys stood up as Remus looked on, confused.

'What is it?'

James stepped forward and took the lead, 'Remus, you are one of our best friends.' He winked, 'You are the true brains behind the infamous Marauder extraordinaire.'

The others laughed.

'We have also been working on another little project since second year.'

Sirius took it from there, 'We know how hurt you come back in after each full moon and you can't imagine how painful it is to watch you so weakened and distraught every month as you go inside the Shack all alone. So we decided we would put an end to it.'

The three boys nodded at each other and before Remus could say anything, in their place stood a majestic stag, a large black dog and a squeaking rat.

Remus looked uncertainly at Hermione who held his hand and hugged him lightly.

Putting her arm around his shoulders and leaning into his side, she said, 'A werewolf can't hurt other animals, remember? That includes Animagi. They want to accompany you each night so you don't suffer alone.'

Remus didn't say a word. He broke down, silent tears tracing his cheeks, and fell into a heap onto the floor.

The boys turned back into their human form and hugged him tight. Hermione looked on, suddenly uncertain about her presence but was soon comforted when James pulled her into their tiny circle.

Remus croaked out, 'You would be risking your lives and Merlin knows how many housepoints every month.'

James laughed out, 'Come Moony, we don't care about the points. And no, we won't be risking our lives. You won't hurt us.'

Remus whispered into the still air, 'But what if I do? I couldn't live with myself knowing I had harmed you or even.. killed you..'

Peter said very seriously, 'Stop that, Remus. We didn't just decide on doing this in a day. It wasn't done on a whim. We know the risk. We are willing to take it.'

Sirius added, 'For you.'

Remus enveloped his friends and breathed in. This was his pack. This was his family. And they loved him.

He smiled at them and commented, 'Animagi.. is that what the entire deal with your vow of silence was. I knew it was bull especially when you hadn't included me. You guys are idiots!'

Sirius placed a hand across his chest, 'You wound me, Moony. Hurting us so when we were only doing it for your poor heart.'

Remus shoved him lightly as the boys made their way down.

Hermione soon followed and smiled when she saw their huge eyes devouring every little detail of the forest around them.

'Papa says the forest comes to life at night.' This is where the Room had drawn its inspiration from.

The fairies were twinkling around as the chill of the night fanned across their faces. The sounds of cicadas met their ears. The silver petals of flowers luminous against the velvety dew soaked ground. A faint mist had begun to wrap around the trees, stood tall with an amber glow around them.

'He never allows me to come here during Beltane. The forest is known to transform into a gateway to the other world. The magic is said to be centered around a very old tree in the right middle of the forest.'

Sirius whistled, 'That is going to be our next adventure.'

James nodded, 'Definitely. We're going looking for the tree next year, 'Mi. Its highly disappointing you kept it from us all this time.'

Hermione cortled as she led the way back home. 'I have spent days looking for it. I haven't once found it.'

'You had been looking alone.' Remus commented, 'We could find it when we looked for it together.'

Peter aimed a twig at James' back and turjed promptly into a rat and ran away from him. James bounded onto his feet, transforming into a stag once again, nipping at the rat as Remus laughed at the sight.

The boys had somehow gotten farther away from her when she felt Sirius creep up behind her.

'This is a beautiful place, 'Mi. How do you manage to stay indoors when every night such magic comes knocking at your door?'

Hermione chuckled as she waded through the shrubbery, 'It was a great delight when I first found out but in the years when I had.. I wasn't entirely inclined towards the more scenic aspect of nature. My mind was cluttered with things that.. I couldn't quite run away from.'

Sirius nodded as if understanding the very core of her being.

They jumped over fallen wooden logs. They had almost reached the edge of the forest and could easily make out the vague outlines of the three boys up ahead entering the Manor grounds.

Sirius stopped mid step and grabbed Hermione's hand, gently turning her around.

Sirius couldn't find the words to tell her what he was feeling in that moment as he looked at the soft glow of her face. Her brows puckered in thought as her teeth bit her lip. Her eyes held his gaze as the moonlight bathed the two in its soothing presence.

Sirius faltered for a second and without thinking, he brought down his lips against her. He felt her stiffen for the smallest second before he felt her give in to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling gently onto the strands of his hair as she nibbled onto his lips lightly.

As he cupped her cheek he felt her shiver and lean into his touch, almost melting into his warm embrace.

He broke apart and whispered, 'Mi, I..'

But whatever words he had found the courage to say were lost as she stepped up on her toes and pulled him back towards herself.

She was gentle and slow. Deepening the kiss as he groaned softly, low in his throat, she moved her hand across his chest, fleeling him suck in a sharp breath at her touch.

Rubbing his thumb against her jaw, Sirius traced her cheekbone eliciting the softest of moans from her. Gasping for air the two looked deep into each other's eyes, seeking something that was entirely their own.

Hermione couldn't deny it any longer.

Not when he leaned his forehead against her, their heartbeats synchronised as a divine silence fell around the two. She acquiesced to the pull she had felt towards him as an ethereal feeling devoured her. Her hands faltered as she dropped a feather light kiss against his knuckles.

That was the last thing she remembered before a tear slipped out her eye and she ran away from him, into the darkness of the night thinking about how it had felt like a stolen moment out of somebody else's life as she had kissed him. Her heart thudded against her chest when she closed her eyes and willed her mind to push the image of his heartbroken face away.

She couldn't do this to him.. wrap him up so intricately in her life when she knew the day was near when she would have to give in to her destiny and step away from any lingering bliss she felt.

She knew she loved him.

She had for some time now. She had pleaded with her mind. She had spent sleepless nights thinking about the guilt that shadowed her every time she thought about Sirius for her heart ached at the mere mention of someone who wasn't Ron. But she knew she had moved on. As much as she felt she was betraying her best friend she couldn't keep lying to herself any longer. She had fought herself day and night but the truth was so glaringly obvious.

Ron would always be her first love but what she had found with Sirius was so much more potent in its rawness.

But she couldn't do this. Not now. She couldn't break his heart.

She would soon join Tom to decimate him from within and Sirius would take up a pivotal role in the Order. Nobody would know the sacrifice Hermione would make.. giving her soul away to Voldemort to save the world from his clutches.

Sirius would never know.

She was already on her way to damnation but she wouldn't drag him there with her.

She would spare him the heartache that came from loving someone who stood on the opposite side of the battlefield from you.