Sirius stormed back into the common room on the evening of November 18th, his face dark with anger, muttering to himself. Hermione and James, who'd been sitting by the fire, looked up as he threw himself into a chair, still grumbling under his breath.

"Snape and his greasy nose… sticking it where it doesn't belong," he fumed. "Every full moon this year, he's been sniffing around, asking questions, asking where Remus goes. It's about time he learned to keep out of things that don't concern him."

James and Hermione exchanged a look, instantly on alert. "What did you do, Sirius?" James asked, his voice sharp.

Sirius shrugged, but his eyes glinted with a mixture of irritation and something darker. "Told him how to get past the Whomping Willow. Maybe that'll keep him busy for a while, teach him a lesson about poking around where he doesn't belong."

For a moment, James and Hermione just stared at him, the weight of his words settling over them like a stormcloud. Then, Hermione's face blanched, horror dawning in her eyes as she realised what Sirius had done.

"Sirius… you didn't." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it cut through the noise in the common room like a knife.

"He won't get far," Sirius replied, waving her off. "He'll take one look and turn tail before he even gets close to the trapdoor."

James was already on his feet, his face pale and furious. "You don't get it, Sirius," he said, his voice shaking. "Snape's not going to turn tail if he thinks he's onto something." He turned to Hermione. "Come on. We need to stop this. Now."

Without another word, Hermione leapt up, grabbing the Invisibility Cloak from his bag on the couch as they sprinted out of the common room, grateful that he had it with him earlier in the day for a prank they were setting up. They barely heard Sirius's startled shout behind them as they bolted out of the portrait hole and out onto corridors.

They covered themselves with the cloak, racing through the castle and the grounds, their breaths visible in the cold November air. The Whomping Willow loomed ahead of them, its branches starting to thrash in the wind as it reanimated, and with a shared glance, they dove forward, ducking and weaving around its violent limbs until they managed to slip into the passage beneath it.

The tunnel stretched before them, dark and echoing with the sounds of their hurried footsteps. As they ran, the terrible reality of what might be unfolding became all too clear. They reached the end of the tunnel and saw Snape already at the trapdoor, his fingers curling around its edge as he prepared to open it.

"James, get him out of here!" Hermione whispered urgently. "I'll distract Moony."

"What are you—"

But before he could stop her, Hermione had transformed into her ermine form, the small white creature with the black-tipped tail darting forward silently. James, understanding the plan, sprinted the last few feet to Snape, reaching out and yanking him back just as the trapdoor swung open.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Snape hissed, turning to glare at him. But James's expression was grim, all traces of his usual cockiness gone.

"Saving your life, you git," he snapped, shoving Snape back down the tunnel, the echo of a low growl creeping down from the room beyond the trap door above them.

"What are you on about?" Snape spat, though a flicker of doubt appeared in his eyes as he tried to look past James toward the open trap door.

With a hiss, Hermione sprang into action, launching herself at Moony, who was snarling, teeth snapping just inches away from the trapdoor. Her tiny paws clung to his fur as she scrambled up his back, biting and swatting at him to draw his attention away from the humans. The wolf whipped around, thrown into a frenzy of frustration by the unexpected, determined little creature that clung to him. He swiped at her, throwing her off once, but she lunged back, keeping him occupied.

Meanwhile, James struggled to drag Snape back down the tunnel, ignoring his protests. "You don't understand, Snivellus—you need to leave, now."

Snape's face paled, his eyes wide as he glanced back at the trap door, through which caught a glimpse of the werewolf. "What… what's up there?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Not your concern anymore. Now move!" James hissed, tightening his grip on Snape's shoulder and hauling him down the tunnel as fast as he could.

Meanwhile Moony managed to get past Hermione once, out into the tunnel before she could get his attention again. Thankfully, the commotion from the humans faded from further down the tunnel, and Moony's frenzied aggression started to dim, his instincts settling once he sensed that his prey had gone. His furious snarls quieted, though Hermione's small form was still latched to his back, her paws clutching at his fur with every ounce of strength she had left. After a few more minutes, his growls faded to low, pained whines, and his body slackened.

As dawn's light crept through the cracks in the walls of Shack, some of it making it all the way to the tunnel, Hermione found herself beside a transformed back and slumbering Remus on the damp floor of the tunnel, her small form curling up beside him in exhaustion.

A few minutes later, Remus's first groggy thoughts as he regained consciousness were of confusion and alarm. He could feel the hard floor beneath him, and the chill of the tunnel seeped into his bones. "Why am I… not in the Shack?" he murmured, his voice hoarse, his body aching from the transformation.

Hermione returned to her human form, her breathing heavy and her face pale, feeling the bruises from her ordeal aching beneath her skin. She watched as Remus blinked, disoriented, slowly realising where he was. She crouched beside him, trying to hide a wince, her hand brushing his shoulder to get his attention. Remus blinked up at her, the surprise in his eyes evident at her sudden appearance.

His eyes widened in horror. "Hermione? W-What… what happened?" he asked. There was a lingering ache in his body—tiny, shallow bite marks and scratches across his skin—and the memory of a small creature snapping at him in the haze of his werewolf mind flickered vaguely in his thoughts.

"I'll tell you later," she said, the anger and frustration simmering in her voice. "But we need to get you back into the Shack before Madam Pomfrey comes."

Remus held her gaze, knowing there was more to this story than she was letting on, but he nodded, too exhausted to press further. He watched as she took out her wand and muttered a quick charm, healing the bite marks and scratches. They weren't cursed like the ones that he inflicted on himself were, so they'd have been enough to rouse suspicion in the matron as to their origins.

His eyes flickered down to the faint, already disappearing bite marks on his arms and then back to her, as realisation dawned. "You're… an Animagus?" he managed, astonishment filling his gaze.

She nodded, muttering a quick charm to heal the marks. "Yes, but we'll talk later. Just… trust me. You're safe now."

Hermione transformed back into her ermine form without another word and scurried toward the adjacent room, slipping under the bed as the only hiding place without James's Cloak that he had taken back with him. She curled up just as the trapdoor opened, while Remus lay still, waiting as the footsteps grew closer, Madam Pomfrey's familiar presence filling the room.

In his hazy state, Remus missed the faint limp in Hermione's gait as she transformed, an injury from when Moony had tossed her against the tunnel wall in frustration.

Once Madam Pomfrey had taken Remus back to the Hospital Wing and settled him into his bed, Hermione made her way there as well, gritting her teeth against the lingering ache in her body. She crafted a quick excuse, claiming she'd slipped on a staircase in the early hours of the morning, and Madam Pomfrey fussed over her briefly before casting a healing spell on her bruised hip and shoulder. As soon as the matron retreated to her office, Hermione threw up a Muffliato charm around her and moved to sit beside Remus, who was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

He looked over as she approached, his eyes narrowing. "Did I… did I do this to you?" His voice was a soft murmur, heavy with guilt.

"Yes," Hermione admitted, keeping her voice even. "But that's not the issue."

"Oh, I'd say the issue is that you're an Animagus, and you didn't bother telling me!" Remus's voice rose, his frustration momentarily breaking through his exhaustion. "Why were you even there?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but just then, James strode into the Hospital Wing, looking unscathed but tense. "I just came from Dumbledore," he announced, sparing a quick glance at Hermione and Remus. "Snape will keep quiet."

"What?" Remus blinked, glancing between them. "Would someone please explain what on earth is going on?"

"I haven't had a chance to yet," Hermione said, adding him to their privacy bubble. "So, James, you'd better start at the beginning."

James sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly gathering his thoughts. "Alright. So… this all started with Sirius…"

Remus clenched his jaw, his fists bunching in his lap. "What did he do?"

"Well, he'd been upset after receiving a particularly nasty letter from home, and then there was Snape always tailing us…" James began, attempting to sound neutral, but the anger in his voice was thinly veiled.

"James Potter," Hermione interrupted with an edge to her voice. "Do not make excuses for him, or so help me—"

James swallowed, nodding. "Right. So, Sirius told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow. He taunted him, saying if he really wanted to know where you went during the full moon, he should just go and check it out himself. Sirius claims he just wanted to scare Snape."

Hermione let out a bitter laugh. "Scare him into submission? Really? How exactly was he planning to achieve that? If we hadn't intervened, best-case scenario, Snape becomes a werewolf; worst case, he's dead."

Remus was pale, practically shaking now, his hand clutching the edge of the bed as he processed the information. "James, were you there, too?"

"Yeah, I got Snape out of there while Hermione distracted you," James said, his voice tight. The guilt was evident in his eyes as he looked over at Remus.

Remus's brow furrowed, his confusion giving way to something that looked dangerously close to betrayal. "Wait… so you're not an Animagus then?" he asked, his tone wary as he looked at James.

James shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "No… not yet," he admitted, glancing away for a moment.

"Yet?" Remus echoed, a mix of disbelief and disappointment crossing his face. "I thought we agreed back in third year you wouldn't do something foolish like this… that I wouldn't let you do it."

"Yeah, well…" James's face softened, his tone turning more regretful. "We just… we wanted to be there for you, Remus. To help. And… to keep an eye on things. For nights like this." He paused, meeting Remus's gaze directly. "I know we should've told you, and I'm sorry."

Remus exhaled, the tension in his face softening slightly as he looked away, processing everything. "Well," he murmured, a weary resignation in his voice, "I suppose I should be grateful. If it weren't for you two… I'd be facing Azkaban right now. Or execution in a couple of hours."

"Dumbledore has handled it," James added, his voice low. "Snape's under a secrecy vow now. He can't reveal anything that happened at the Shack or that you're a werewolf."

"And what about Sirius?" Remus asked, his voice laced with an exhausted anger.

"A month of detentions," James replied, avoiding his gaze.

"That's it?" Hermione's voice was incredulous, her face tight with fury. "If anyone else had tried something like this, they'd be expelled, or worse."

"It's not fair, Hermione," James agreed, "but if Dumbledore had given him anything harsher, it would have drawn attention. Keeping it quiet is as much for Remus's safety as anything."

Hermione sighed, a glint of frustration still evident in her eyes. But she nodded, understanding the delicate balance of it all. "Did Snape… see me?" she asked after a pause, her voice low. "Will I need to go to Dumbledore?"

"No," James replied with a reassuring shake of his head. "He was too distracted with the, uh, big bad wolf." He winced as he said it, glancing over at Remus, who had stiffened, his face drawn and pained.

"You should go," Hermione said, her voice gentler now, looking at Remus with a softness that hinted at her lingering worry. "Remus needs to rest."

"As if I could after… all of this," Remus muttered, his gaze slipping down to his hands, which fidgeted anxiously with the edge of his blanket. He looked exhausted but far from relaxed, the weight of the night still pressing heavily on him.

"I'll have Madam Pomfrey give you a Calming Draught," Hermione said decisively, already turning to go.

"No, don't—"

"Wasn't asking," she replied, firm but kind, already halfway across the room. Remus's mouth opened as though to protest further, but he saw the determined look in her eyes and slumped back against the pillows, too tired to argue.

Hermione found Madam Pomfrey in her office, explaining quickly that Remus had received some "troubling news" and could do with something to calm him so he could get some much-needed rest. The matron nodded, her face creasing with sympathy as she rose to prepare a dose of the potion.

She returned to Remus's bedside with the phial, eyeing James and Hermione as they hovered. "Thank you both, but I think it's time for you to let him rest," she said, a touch of firmness in her tone. "I know you mean well, but excitement is the last thing he needs right now. Off you go."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, wanting to stay, but James gently nudged her elbow, pulling her toward the door. As Madam Pomfrey handed Remus the phial and moved to adjust his blankets, Hermione threw one last look over her shoulder. Remus gave her a faint, grateful nod, his hand clutching the potion.

Once they were in the corridor, Hermione's expression hardened, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. She turned on James, her voice low but dangerous. "Where is he?"

"Hermione…" James began, his tone careful, but he knew the intensity in her gaze wasn't something he could talk her out of. "He's in the boys' dormitory. But I really don't think yelling at him is going to help anything."

Hermione's jaw clenched, her eyes flashing. "I'm not going to yell. I'm going to tell him exactly what he's done." With that, she turned on her heel, her footsteps echoing down the corridor as she headed for Gryffindor Tower with purposeful strides.

James hesitated, letting her go, knowing that some things simply couldn't be avoided. And deep down, he knew that Sirius needed to hear every word she had to say.

The moment Hermione appeared in the doorway of the boys' dormitory, Sirius's face broke into a mixture of relief and confusion, clearly unaware of what happened to her exactly after last night, since they were pointedly not bringing up her involvement in front of Dumbledore, and James only went to the Hospital Wing after they were done in the Headmaster's office.

"Are you okay, Kitten?" he asked, his tone tentative, as if testing the waters.

In an instant, Hermione's wand was under his chin, her arm steady and unyielding. Sirius's expression shifted from surprise to shock, his mouth opening to stammer a protest, but he found himself at a loss for words.

"Do. Not. Kitten me," Hermione spat, her voice low and dangerous. "I trusted you, Sirius Black. Against my better judgement, I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you threw it back in my face. Do you have any idea just how reckless you are? You… you fucking homicidal maniac."

Sirius's eyes widened, and he raised his hands in surrender as James quietly closed the door, casting a privacy charm, just in case, that seemed to close off the entire room in tension. "I-I didn't want anyone to get killed," Sirius stammered, his voice wavering as he glanced toward James, who remained silent.

"Oh really?" Hermione's tone was biting. "So your grand plan was to turn Snape into a werewolf instead? That's how you thought this would solve things? Making it so he'd have to out himself as well if he ever breathed a word?"

"I didn't think he'd actually go, alright?" Sirius shot back, his voice defensive. "Why would he even go near the Shrieking Shack on the full moon if he suspected Remus was a werewolf? What was he trying to prove?"

"Oh, so we're victim blaming now?" Hermione's voice rose, her eyes flashing. "How classy, Black. Really, top-notch moral gymnastics. Did you, for one second, think about Remus in any of this?"

Sirius flinched but held her gaze, a stubborn set to his jaw. "I was thinking about him!" he insisted. "I wanted Snape to leave him alone, stop sniffing around like he has all term. I just wanted him to stop."

"And you thought the best way to achieve that was to turn Remus into an unwitting murder weapon?" Hermione's voice was incredulous, filled with equal parts fury and disbelief. "Did it ever cross your mind that Remus could've killed someone—or worse, condemned someone to a lifetime of his own hell? You know he hates himself for what he is. How do you think he would feel if he had turned Snape, doomed him to that same existence? He trusted you! He trusted you with his secret. How could you betray him like this?"

Sirius's defiance faltered, and for the first time, his shoulders slumped. "I wasn't thinking, alright?" he muttered, almost to himself. "I didn't… I didn't mean for it to go that far."

Hermione's voice turned ice-cold. "Yes, that much is very clear. That you weren't thinking. Stay the hell away from me and from Remus. From now on, you're a stranger to me, Black."

A look of shock flickered across Sirius's face, quickly morphing into frustration. "So what now? You're his keeper? You think you get to decide who he's friends with?"

Hermione didn't back down, her gaze steely. "No, I'm not his keeper. If Remus decides to forgive you, that's his choice. But until he does, you'll stay away from him—or so help me, Sirius Black, I'll curse you so hard that the worst of what you've ever done to Snape will look like a child's prank in comparison. Do I make myself clear?"

Sirius looked utterly lost, his gaze darting to James in a silent plea for backup. But James simply looked away, jaw clenched, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Peter, standing beside him, shifted uncomfortably, his expression conflicted but also tinged with disappointment. Sirius had always been the leader in their pranks, the one with the bold ideas and daring impulses, but this time… it was too much. Both boys were angry, especially James, though he kept his anger quieter, less volatile. Even so, there was no defence, nothing left to justify Sirius's actions, and it made the room feel oppressively heavy.

Sirius swallowed hard, the reality of his actions settling in, but it was Hermione's quiet voice that cut through the tension, sharper than any shout.

"Do you even know what Remus would be facing right now if we hadn't gotten there in time?" she asked, her tone calmer but carrying an edge that sliced through whatever defiance Sirius might have had left.

Sirius's throat bobbed as he gulped, his eyes widening with an unspoken fear. He had never really let himself think about what the consequences might be, had pushed it aside as something impossible.

Hermione took a step closer, lowering her voice but somehow making each word sting all the more. "Straight to execution, Sirius. No trial, no consideration. If a werewolf is found biting or killing a wizard on the full moon, they are executed. No questions asked. Maybe Dumbledore would have tried to protect him, maybe he'd have found some way to cover it up, like he's doing now." Her voice cracked slightly as she continued, her gaze hard as steel. "But that's beside the point. Remus then would've had to live with the guilt. He would have never forgiven himself."

The gravity of her words seemed to finally take hold. Sirius's face twisted with pain, his bravado crumbling entirely.

Hermione watched him for a long moment, her expression devoid of the pity she might once have felt. "I'm not sure which is worse, Sirius—Remus's life ending in one night, or him having to live with the knowledge of what he'd done to another person. And you, the one person who's always had his back, nearly put him through that."

She let the silence settle over him, the weight of it pressing down like a stone. There were no more words left, nothing she could say that could make him feel the depth of the betrayal he'd committed. Without another glance, Hermione turned and walked out, leaving Sirius standing there, rooted to the spot, as the implications of what he had done sank deeper into his mind.

And as she left, Sirius felt James's disappointed gaze follow her out, the silence in the room a testament to the trust he'd broken.

Hermione hadn't slept a wink, yet she found herself back in the Hospital Wing later that morning, slipping quietly into the chair beside Remus's bed. His hand felt warm and steady in hers as he lay sleeping, his chest rising and falling peacefully under the calming draught and dreamless sleep potion Madam Pomfrey had likely given him. Her mind was restless, simmering with anger—anger at Sirius, yes, but more than that, anger at herself. She'd let herself believe him last year, trust that his loyalty to his friends would always override his recklessness. She'd let herself believe he would never hurt her or anyone she cared about, despite knowing what he was capable of in the future. Experiencing his betrayal firsthand only sharpened that painful truth.

"I can hear the gears turning all the way over here," Remus mumbled groggily, his voice thick with sleep as he opened his eyes a few hours later.

Hermione let out a shuddering breath and, without thinking, leaned forward to hug him, burying her face against his shoulder. The tension and exhaustion of the past twenty hours caught up with her all at once, her shoulders shaking as she began to sob quietly. It was as if the last of the adrenaline that had been burning through her, fueled by anger, had finally burned out, leaving only a hollow, aching exhaustion in its wake.

Remus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her gently onto the bed, tucking her into the crook of his neck. "Shh," he murmured soothingly, his hand running softly along her back. "It's alright, I'm alright."

A shaky, broken laugh escaped her between sobs. "I should be the one comforting you," she managed, trying to pull herself together.

Remus tightened his hold, resting his chin on top of her head. "I think we both deserve a bit of comfort right now," he replied softly. After a pause, he added, "Thank you. For making sure… it didn't happen."

She nodded against his shoulder, her voice soft but unwavering. "I'll be in your corner. Always."

They stayed like that for a while, Hermione's breathing slowly evening out. The quiet was interrupted a little while later when James entered the room, looking hesitant and uncharacteristically uncomfortable. He ran a hand through his hair nervously as he approached, casting a quick, awkward glance at Hermione before turning to Remus.

"Moony, could we talk for a minute?"

Hermione sat up, narrowing her eyes, a flash of protectiveness sparking in her. "Do not dare to pressure him," she said sharply.

James held up his hands, his expression contrite. "I'm not. You're absolutely right." He looked at Remus, his voice lowering. "I just wanted to say that Pete and I will take your lead on however you want to handle this."

Remus nodded, giving Hermione a reassuring look. "It's alright, Hermione. Really. Go get some sleep."

She hesitated, biting her lip as she looked at him. She didn't think she'd be able to sleep, but Remus's expression held a gentleness and understanding that told her he wanted some time alone with James. Reluctantly, she nodded and rose from the bed, throwing one last protective glance at James before leaving. As she closed the door behind her, she heard the familiar buzz of the Muffliato charm being cast, cutting off any further sounds from the room.

By the time she made it back to the Gryffindor common room, exhaustion weighed heavily on her, every step feeling like a monumental effort. She was startled to see Lily waiting for her, her eyes widening as she took in Hermione's bloodshot, puffy eyes and the exhaustion written across her face.

"What happened? You never came back to the dorms last night," Lily asked, her voice laced with concern.

Hermione shook her head, not trusting herself to speak without breaking down all over again. "I'm sorry, Lily, but… can we not do this right now?"

Lily's expression softened, and she gave a gentle nod. "Sure."

Without another word, Hermione made her way up to her dormitory, stumbling over to her bed and collapsing onto the mattress. She pulled the curtains shut and cast a silencing charm, finally allowing herself a moment of release. She buried her face in her pillow, clutching it tightly as she screamed, the sound muffled by the charm but releasing some of the anger, frustration, and heartache that had been building up inside her since the night before.

When she finally stopped, she lay in silence, breathing heavily, staring up at the canopy of her bed, feeling more drained and hollow than ever.