Hermione woke up with a start. Crying out and thrashing. It felt as though hands were holding her down. The dark of the room chilled her as she frantically looked around her, knowing that Bellatrix had to be nearby. Or maybe she had left her to Greyback or Dolohov. She didn't know which was worse. Greyback would probably just tear her throat out with his teeth, but Dolohov would touch her.

Pain was shooting down her nerves, and she couldn't tell if it was from her already broken body or if someone was cursing her again. She whimpered, giving up on freeing herself, hoping that holding still would hurt less

A soft click in the distance registered in her mind, but she closed her eyes not wanting to see who came in to make her hurt. She felt hands grasping her cheeks, gentle and warm. Her eyes popped open and locked on to another pair, a storm grey color, that peered at her in concern. She slowly focused on the face. Sirius. He was softly talking to her and as she regained her focus his words began to register.

"Come on, Love. Deep breaths." she took in a long shuddering breath and felt her chest expand. He took the breaths with her, trying to get her to match her breaths with his. She felt his fingers slide carefully to just under her jaw and she could feel her pulse pressing against his fingers. His lips thinned and his look of concern deepened. He didn't say anything and just kept breathing with her.

As they both felt her heart rate slow and her breathing became easier he smiled at her. She couldn't help but admire his perfect smile. It filled out his cheeks and crinkled his eyes, reminding her of the faint lines on older Sirius' face. Privately she basked in knowing that at least some of the lines on Sirius' face before he went through the Veil were from smiling and not from Azkaban.

"That's it Kitten, you're alright." His fingers brushed along her cheekbones and raked through the sweaty hair at her temples.

At times she felt as if she were in a nightmare, stuck in the past away from her friends and unable to help them. Or in her least lucid moments she still thought she was on the marble floor in Malfoy Manor having her arm carved into with a curved blade, the sound of Bellatrix laughing ringing around the large empty chamber. The high cutting sound would echo in her head. Sometimes she felt invisible hands groping her as someone crooned in Russian.

At the moment though, staring up at grey eyes, she felt as if she were transported back to the library at Grimmauld Place. Like she had just looked up from her book as she felt long fingers scraping gently through her hair as he leaned over the top of her head to peer curiously at her text with a, "What are you reading, Kitten?" She'd smile and they'd talk about the book she was reading while he'd play with her hair. Weaving little braids against her skull. The world strangely hushed as snow fell around the house outside.

The others never could pin down their odd relationship. At times they had explosive arguments and pushed each other's buttons, often over his treatment of Kreature or over his sometimes childish pranks and encouragement of the Weasley twins misbehavior. At other times they would be found like this, hands in her hair, deep in discussion, or in the kitchen during the rare moments Molly Weasley wasn't occupying it. He'd sit on the counter, watching her bake without magic and tease her about it or laughing at Crookshanks chasing wine corks under the table. He always looked at her with the same fond gaze that not even she could pin down. It was different from how he would look at Harry or Professor Lupin or anyone else. But it always made her feel warm, like a cat drunk on an extra bowl of cream.

Younger Sirius sat at her bedside illuminated by the moonlight cascading through the long windows of the infirmary. It cast deep shadows along that accentuated his already pronounced jawline and straight Grecain nose. He was helping her untangle the bedsheets that she had twisted into a claustrophobic mass around her chest and legs. He left them untucked and she relished the feeling of them not weighing down on her.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asked once he was done. He sat back down at the side of her bed, their hips brushed. He took her hand and examined the bandage. It wasn't bleeding through anymore.

"Madame Pomfrey stitched it up today," she said, in answer to his unasked question. She winced as a sharp pain ran through her legs. Probably from the struggle she put up with the sheets.

Nodding, Sirius looked at her expectantly.

"I'm fine."

He snorted. "Right, and I'm going to be Head Boy." He shot her a look that made her pout a little. Even younger Sirius could spot her lies from a mile away.

"Sometimes I can't separate the nightmares from reality," she said quietly. "It doesn't help that when my nerves spasm, it feels like someone is hitting me with a curse."

Sirius didn't look surprised. He had been visiting her almost nightly since he found her about a week ago. Madame Pomfrey wasn't letting him come during the day, so he snuck in to see her instead. He told her that the matron wasn't even letting Dumbledore access to her, he looked rather smug about that.

"Is the pain potion she gives you wearing off at night?" he asked. Watching her face critically, like he expected her to not be honest with him. She blushed.

"Yeah, I usually wake around this time."

He nodded again. "I'll come by a little earlier and give you another dose." They were pretty sure Madame Pomfrey knew of his nightly visits. He had discovered, after his first visit, various first-aid and potion items sitting out by her desk that weren't there before, nor labeled quite so thoroughly, with dosage instructions on them. She could tell that he was overly pleased at the tactful not-really permission of the nurse for him to be there. "Maybe a dreamless sleep potion would be helpful?" He muttered to himself as she watched him stand up and walk over to the supplies and grabbed a phial of sky blue liquid and brought it back. She drank it and shuddered at the cooling sensation that washed over her. She handed the empty glass back to him and he levitated it back over to the desk. He helped her sit up, waiting for her to settle against the pillows comfortably.

"So, are you going to tell me how the prank went this morning?" She asked, her mouth querking at the corners. She was grateful that he hadn't pushed her for answers about what happened to her or about the future. She knew he was eager to know. She knew how curious Sirius was, and if she hadn't told him that she would tell him when she could talk to Dumbledore, that she didn't have it in her to rehash the whole tale more than once at the moment, he wouldn't have relented so easily. Not that he didn't try to weedle out little nuggets of her life. She would relent on occasion, usually in the throes of a good conversation where a story would slip out. He would listen with bright eyes.

At first when she had come to her senses long enough to think about her situation, she had panicked that he knew about her being from the future. Knowing the dangers of meddling with time, she had tried to think of a way to glaze over the whole thing as the deluded ramblings of a seriously injured person, but she had stupidly shown him her broken time turner in her less than sober state. That had sealed the deal. She knew and there was no going back from that. She still worried over how much to tell him, though. Her previous experience with Time Travel had only been going back a few hours. Not far enough to damage the timeline severely. She couldn't know how much she had changed going back over 20 years, if she had changed anything at all. Did older Sirius know her from the past and just kept it to himself? Or had things changed so drastically she was in a whole new timeline altogether? Should she try and change things? She wondered if she even had a choice, she had to tell Dumbledore and there was no way to avoid telling Sirius. She would have to tell Sirius about Peter Pettigrew's deception and betrayal, the Potter's death, Azkaban. The thought was harrowing. If adult Sirius was rash she assumed that younger Sirius was even more so.

She shook the thoughts away and listened to Sirius talk about the Marauders latest prank on the Slytherins. For some reason, it didn't feel as scandalous as it might have once. Then again, she had probably done far worse at this point.

Sirius was grinning, almost preening at the attention his accomplishment was gaining him. "We snuck into their common room by following under the cloak behind some of the snakes right before curfew and waited for them all to go to bed. Then, we snuck into the bathrooms and added a timed release swelling solution to their shampoo and a shrinking solution to their soap. None of them noticed a thing until after they started breakfast this morning. You should have seen them, Kitten! They looked like those muggle bobble-heads running to the Hospital Wing! The best part is that they think it was in the food so I'm anticipating a repeat of the show."

She laughed, missing his smug grin at the sound. "I thought that was you lot. There was a mad rush this morning of Slytherins, I got a peak at them through the gap in my curtains." Despite the complications of having Sirius at this time knowing about her circumstances, she couldn't help but be grateful. She felt less alone. Even though he had none of the memories of their shared time, she still felt that same companionship he offered her as an adult. "It reminds me of the time Harry chucked a Filibusters into Goyle's cauldron in second year so I could sneak into Snape's storeroom and filch ingredients." She laughed at the memory. "The firework went off and covered half the classroom with swelling solution. Snape seemed to know it was us but he could never prove it!"

"Snape was your potions teacher?!" Sirius asked, aghast. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. "How batty is Dumbledore in the future?"

"He was awful. Always played favorites with Slytherin and would take points from us for absurd reasons. He was mean and cruel to us and hated me and Ron, not only because we were Gryffindor's but also because Harry was our best friend." She said indignantly, her eyes glazed over a little as she seemed to remember some less than pleasant memories about her former professor. The line of thought took her to the night Hogwarts was attacked. The night Dumbledore was killed. This image of his broken body at the base of the Astronomy Tower haunted her.

She could tell he wanted to ask more but something in her face must have stopped him. Instead he conjured a smile for her and thought about the story she told him. The smile turned sly when he realized that she stole from Snape. With a laugh he told her how proud he was of her for the achievement of pulling one over on the slimeball.

Like usual he waited for her to drift off, his hands caressing the underside of her good arm in long soothing strokes, that distracted her from memories of less than pleasant caresses. Her dreams were always more peaceful when he sat with her.

Sirius was angry. He was angry before, but he hadn't yet had a name to direct the energy towards. Now, however, he did. He was almost pleased that the person he could be angry at was Snivellus. Hostility towards him wasn't unexpected and it shouldn't raise any questions from his friends.

That being said Sirius underestimated his own glowering expression. He glared at Snape at the Slytherin table from the Gryffindor table with the frostiness of a Yeti. It wasn't subtle. He ate his sausage with a look in his eye not unlike a dog gnawing on a bone waiting for something to try and take it away.

"Uh...Pads," Remus tried cautiously. "You alright?" he looked over at the Slytherin table. James and Peter, both glancing at each other and back at Sirius with looks of bemusement on their faces.

"Fine." Sirius said, swallowing the piece of meat that he had masticated for what seemed about five minutes. "Say, is it just me or is Snivellus looking a little too content?"

James looked over at the Slytherin table at Snape. The greasy haired boy tried to sneer their way but was looking a little more than perturbed by the scathing eye contact Sirius was holding on him.

Raising an eyebrow at his friend, James ran a hand through his already messy locks. "Well, you know I'm always down to keep him on his toes, but I thought we agreed to slow down on our jokes with him after what happened last year." He glanced at Remus and then again down the table at Lilly Evans.

"Slow down, but not stop," said Sirius. His silver eyes glinted dangerously in the brightness of the Great Hall. He put his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his fist, his face directed towards his friends but his gaze flitted dangerously towards the Slytherin table every now and again. "So, what shall we do?"

Their discussion of prank ideas was halted by the bell and they all stood up for Transfiguration. Peter loudly complained that he barely finished the paper they had on the Dorian's Law of Living Transfiguration and why had McGonagall given them a four foot essay as homework on the first week of class?

They meandered into the classroom where McGonagall sat on her desk as a tabby cat. Sirius and James bound over to her where they cooed at their professor's animagus form. Sirius reached over to scratch her ears but was stopped with a swat of her paw and a feline glare.

"Aww! But, Minnie, you're so cute like this!" whined Sirius, Frowning and rubbing his hand as if she had really hurt him.

"Yeah, Minnie! Why would you sit here as a cat if not to tempt us to pet you?" Asked James pouting at the cold reception she was giving them.

The cat left off the table making the boy's step back as she transformed into a severe looking witch in navy blue robes and black hair in a tight bun at the top of her head. She looked down the bridge of her nose at them, despite being a bit shorter than them at that point.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, I shouldn't have to explain this, as it should be obvious, but a witch or wizard animagus is still a witch or wizard," she said tersely, folding her arms under her chest. "Go find your seats!"

Sirius and James chortle quietly, always amused when McGonagall gets annoyed at them especially when it comes to her schooling them on animagus etiquette, with her not knowing they were themselves animagi. They sat down in their seats, Sirius dragging James when he caught sight of Lily pulling out her books. After wracking his friend over the head to get himself to focus they started passing back and forth notes. Sirius bounced off prank ideas with James and Peter, while Remus scribbled down notes and rolled his eyes in mock exasperation at their antics. They still paid attention, but Transfiguration had always been one of their best subjects, and since they had become (illegal) animagi the year before they had technically mastered the subject. Remus, who hadn't had to go through the extensive research they had, was at a more standard level of education on the subject. So, he took notes on the subject and copied them later for them to read through. They paid the favor back in potions since his sense of smell was so heightened he often couldn't pay much attention in class. They still had fun with the practical aspect of Transfiguration class, it often gave them ideas. Jump starting their creative process, as James liked to put it.

It was that very thing that gave Sirius his idea. They were working on deliberate, partial transfiguration. Giving beetles butterfly wings, while retaining the body, or turning the twigs on a broom into feathers. A sly smirk made its way onto his face, as he scribbled down something and passed it to James and Peter.

S: What could we transfigure on Snivellus that won't be immediately noticed?

Peter read it and grinned, taking the paper and began to scribble something down. James, who was reading over his shoulder, choked and yanked the paper away from him and crossed it out vigorously then proceeded to scribble something else down and passed it to Sirius who tried to read what Pete wrote but it was covered up too well. He raised an eyebrow at Peter and James.

"You don't want to know," mouthed James, he shuddered theatrically. Sirius looked impressed and turned to the note.

J: I wouldn't subject Poppy to dealing with what Wormtail suggested. How about giving him bat ears? The slimeball never shows his ears so no one will notice for hours. Or maybe baboon feet?

The ideas weren't bad but they didn't really seem punchy enough to Sirius, who was looking for retribution. He sat and thought on it for a bit, practicing giving his desk chair a gilded, cushioned chair back. Maybe his Kitten would have an idea. No, he wanted to surprise her by regaling her with the tale. He sat back in his seat after McGonagall nodded approvingly at his spellwork and began tapping his quill on the scrap of paper they were passing between them. Little dots formed on the paper as he thought.

S: Maybe something with a timed release again?

J: I agree. They haven't been able to directly pin the last prank on us since there was no evidence it was us.

Peter took the paper this time and scribbled.

P: How are we going to combine a time release charm to a transfiguration spell?

During a free period before dinner they'd recruited Remus into the operation and after much discussion they finally settled on a method.

"Are you sure this isn't taking it too far?" asked Moony, despite himself trying to keep from smiling. It was an amusing prank they were going to pull later. The timed release that they decided to set would go off some twenty minutes before breakfast would end, to allow maximum impact.

"Nah, he's a Slytherin. They love snakes," Peter said. The boys all looked at each other with cheshire grins and headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.

As they sat they all took measured glances towards the Slytherin table looking for their target. It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that the greasy boy slid into his seat. He caught their eye immediately, glowering at their very presence.

"We gotta wait until he takes his eyes off of us," said Remus under his breath, scooping a large helping of mash potato onto his plate. They proceeded to go about their dinner like normal chatting about various topics from class to quidditch tryouts coming up that weekend. Sirius and James were two of their house's players. James was their star chaser and also their captain, while Sirius was one of the team's beaters, co-captain and a fan favorite. They were talking about prospective players, agreeing on who they thought would stay on the team from the year before and what to work on.

Peter, being the most inconspicuous of their group, kept an eye on Snape, waiting to give the signal. It was in the middle of James gesticulating wildly about the drills he wanted to run to improve the bobblebeater defence when he gave the signal. Without missing a beat, Sirius, who insisted that he be the one to cast the spell, flicked his wand under the table at Snape. Nothing happened.

Yet.

That night Sirius slipped out of bed quietly. His friends didn't really know that he was continuing to see Hermione at night, if they did he'd be subjected to crude comments about her being his new girl. It wasn't really that he'd be embarrassed by the accusation, it was more that he didn't want to answer their questions about her. She was still an enigma to him, so how could he explain it to his friends? Could he explain it to them even if he wanted to?

At this point Sirius felt safe enough to traverse the route to the infirmary without the aid of the cloak or map. He'd instead transformed into Padfoot. As a dog he had superior senses and could usually detect when someone was approaching. There had been a fair few times he nearly encountered Peeves, the school poltergeist. Even as a dog, running into him could turn nasty as he was a very large, black wolf-dog. Easily mistaken by the superstitious population of the school as a Grim. One of the worst omens of death there was.

He padded up to the doors and peered in. Quietly transforming he entered the room and glanced over to Hermione. She was twitching and murmuring in her sleep.

"Please...no. It wasn't us. It's a fake…"

He summoned the pain reliever and sat by her bedside and tried to wake her gently. Squeezing her hand and stroking her hair away from her temple. Her dreams usually caused a cold sweat to form on her and it glistened on her brow now. He quietly spoke to her, trying to ease her from her nightmare. Memories.

"Hey, Kitten. It's time to wake up now, Love." He was raking his nails against her scalp. "Come one, now, Sweetness." It hurt him to look at her like this, he had only known her for a short time and yet, she was precious to him. She treated him like someone dear to her and he couldn't help but feel attached.

Her jerking motions stopped and something in her face relaxed. It took a few seconds for her eyes to flutter open and a look of pain to make it onto her face. He handed her the pale blue potion and she drank it down eagerly. Her face completely relaxed.

"Thanks Sirius," she said with a weak smile, squeezing the hand that still held hers.

He looked at her and debated if he could ask about the dream. But before he could so much as open his mouth to ask her they heard someone clearing their throat. Sirius whirled around, his wand leaping to his hand, only to find Professor Dumbledore standing by the door.

Sirius scowled.

"Back again, Sirius?" The old man said, the humor in his voice serving to raise the younger man's hackles.

"What are you here?" Sirius nearly growled. He made sure that his body blocked Hermione from view. It didn't take him long after reading Poppy's notes that Legilimancy was used on her, quite brutally too, given that it had actually hurt her. And that, during that first meeting when the Headmaster had the barely surviving girl forced to consciousness he had infiltrated her mind without permission nor warning.

"I figured it was time for Mis. Granger and I talk," Dumbledore said with a smile, crossing the room and taking a seat by the bed. Sirius moved his body to keep Hermione hidden.

"It's alright, Sirius," her voice was soft and comforting. It made him want to hide her even more. He turned to look at her and she let him assess her. "You want answers too don't you?" With a deep sigh he sat back down at her hip. He watched Dumbledore, petulant.

She smiled at him and looked to the Professor who was watching the scene, his mustache quivering in a way she vaguely thought was a suppressed smile.

"Now my dear, I think we should start with how you came to be here."