{8-Well, that's Odd}

Dinner was miserable. Dumbledore had stared her down the whole time, and she'd eaten alone, her mind most likely audible as it worked through all of the information she had. Someone had surly heard the conductor of her train of thought yelling in utter frustration, but alas, Hermione succeeded through supper without any odd glances.

Fighting the curse on her was a challenge, and she wanted so badly to change things, especially now that she knew the purpose was to tempt her to do so. Horrible things happened to people who messed with time, however, and Hermione did not want to go down in history as the next class-act idiot. No, she much preferred titles like Head of the Department of Mysteries or... Minister of Magic.

Regardless, she went back to her dorm and pulled out some work to do, tucking it under her arm as she traveled into the common room. Hermione enjoyed her small room alone, but after years of Parvati and Lavender chattering, or music being played, or the boys taunting her with questions... the quiet was a hard thing to swallow.

The common room was mildly empty, as she was sure lots of people were still at dinner, and she saw that the chair she'd sat on many nights with Harry and Ron surrounding her was available. She snatched it in an instant, feeling comfortable and right for the first time in a very long while.

Hermione read for a bit, uninterrupted, but how else could her evening be ruined if not being sat across from and then talked to.

"Hey!"

Looking up wearily at the voice, Hermione sighed.

"Hi." It was not friendly, but Sirius took it with a grin as though she'd welcomed him with open arms.

"You seem upset, and while I know your date didn't go all that great while we were out, I hope you at least had some fun?"

"I did, thanks," Hermione replied shortly, feeling uncomfortable as she wiggled further into her chair. If she'd never had girl mannerisms before, she certainly was exhibiting them now.

"Right, well, I just thought I'd check in. We're going again this weekend if you want to jump in. I know it's a bit away, but it'll just be James, Remus, Peter and myself. It's sort of a tradition for just the guys to go after... certain things happen."

Sirius cursed as he realized he'd said too much. It wasn't like Hermione didn't know, but it was certainly interesting that he seemed so loose-lipped.

"And what things are these that happened?" Hermione decided he deserved the jab.

"I got rejected," he recovered superfluously, "We don't like to shove salt in the wounds after a failed attempt."

"Ah, well maybe if you weren't so cocky you wouldn't get rejected all the time."

Sirius glared at her, but it was halfhearted and gone as soon as it came.

"And what do you think you know, Granger?"

"That you hate your family and actually have a good heart under there somewhere beyond all that outward bullying."

Now she got a true displeased facial expression. Sirius was not attractive when he was angry... but he wasn't when he was happy either.

"Hey, I reckon I've toned down over the years. Haven't gotten in a row in a few months," he mumbled like a scorned child, picking his feet up and replicating Hermione's stance.

"And what's that supposed to mean if you're never going to apologize to the people you've hurt. Like Severus? He doesn't come from a great homestead, you know? He doesn't need shite from you, too." It had all slipped before she could stop herself, but it did the job nonetheless.

Sirius looked like a kicked puppy, and while the idea almost made Hermione snort, she kept a straight face as he looked at her pleadingly this time.

"I get that... I really do-" Hermione knew this- "but I can't explain my actions any better than he can. I'm not going to forgive him for calling a friend of mine what he did, but I've also left him alone. I forget you're friends with him sometimes, you are nothing like him."

She supposed opposites attracted, or so they say.

"Yeah, well, you best not forget."

"You don't doubt that I understand Sniv-Snape?"

There was some semblance of normalcy in hearing Severus referred to by his last name, and she reveled in it. It wasn't often she was reminded so solidly of the norm and how desperately she wanted to go back.

"No, I trust you wouldn't lie to me. I was the smartest gir-" Hermione caught herself, and coughed, knowing she'd just nearly betrayed her identity. How Sirius didn't remember this in the future wasn't up to her, however. Or maybe it was. Maybe she just obliviated everyone, in which case good on her, "Sorry, I was the smartest boy my family had ever met."

"Seems like, you do better than even Lily."

"She does seem very smart. The illusive Lily, I hardly know anything about her besides the fact that she was 'off limits' for James. He seems to really like her."

"He loves her, no doubt about it. If she doesn't come around one day, I don't know what he'll do. They seem to be on the right track, though," Sirius said happily, though the pride didn't evade Hermione.

It wasn't a bad thing, though, the boy being proud of his friend for catching a girl, because this girl would have Potter wrapped around her little finger... for the few years they lived anyways. The thought wasn't getting any easier, damned curse.

"Well, anyways, she was the smartest person here before you showed up," Sirius said with a wink, "And muggle-born, though that doesn't matter at all. She's been that pretty since she was young, James adores her, and she was friends with Snape for a while too... until the incident."

Hermione left Sirius his secret, not caring to hear the story, she'd practically lived it, though Malfoy had never been her friend.

"Interesting. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my book," Hermione said politely, hoping not to offend Sirius.

"Right, sure," he said hurriedly, though he looked disappointed, and wasn't exactly hiding it as he stood, "You'll come this weekend, right? Hogsmeade with the blokes?"

Hermione wavered, but nodded, thinking it was sweet she was getting an invite for boys' weekend after Remus had his rough weekend.

"Yeah, I reckon I can make it."

"Brilliant! The boys will be thrilled" Sirius exclaimed, then seemed to calm, before waving as he walked off.

It was very odd.

-

It had gotten horribly cold by the end of the week, and Severus seemed intent on making her suffer through studying for the potions exam they'd had that Friday, which did not make her feel any better.

To make matters worse, DeLancey seemed to have moved to an oddly horrifying zone-in on her person, and seemed very confused by her, though still  his happy self. It confused her, really, about why he would always call on her, or looked at her like he knew things. She worried he'd been informed by Dumbledore who she was, but surely she would have been told if Dumbledore was spreading her secret all about now, right?

Regardless, she wasn't passing up the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade that weekend, and with a small workload, she was anticipating having something to do.

She was no stranger to hanging out with just boys, for heaven's sake her two best friends were both guys, and she loved them equally, but the idea was still mildly overwhelming.

Hermione looked in the mirror and saw her own reflection, missing being herself, but knowing it was necessary to stay like she was. Today would be a good day regardless of how it went, she hoped with a smile.

Slipping on her jacket, Hermione made her way down to the common room to find everyone waiting for her.

"Hey, Florizel!" It was a chorus and a very out of tune one at that.

"Hey," she muttered, sticking her hands in her pockets and attempting to act like a boy. Heaven knows she was bloody awful at it.

"Come on, we've been ready for butterbeer since breakfast."

A roll of her eyes and they were off for the day.

Hermione walked next to Remus on the way there, Sirius shoving his way to the front of the group with James and Peter. They all talked animatedly, and she was thrilled to have gotten the prefect of the lot as her chatting buddy. He was excited, to say the least, about the Defence lesson they'd just had on Friday, and she could see why he'd been a good candidate for the job in the future.

They went straight for the Three Broomsticks, and true to their word, ordered an early round of butterbeer.

Before anyone could take a sip, Sirius raised his glass in the air.

"A toast, I think, to us!" He spoke loudly. Hermione was reminded of Ron, and she shook her head with a laugh, entertaining the annoying Sirius by raising her mug.

"To Peter!" James said.

"To James," Peter replied, in which the toast was passed to Remus.

"To Florizel," he said, much softer than his friends, but with a smile Hermione knew was full of kindness and humbleness.

"To Remus," Hermione agreed, and then everyone looked at Sirius.

"Well, since I reckon no one's going to toast twice to include me," he sounded very offended, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" And they all clinked glasses, taking a huge gulp before all laughing and starting the evening.

"So, I heard you had a rough week, Remus, is everything okay?" Hermione was sure he wouldn't tell her anything, but she did want to be considerate. He would have a tough time of it being alone once everything went down, especially when once all his friends had died or been incarcerated... or betrayed him to Voldemort, but Hermione certainly wasn't holding a grudge.

"Yeah," he said slowly, eyeing her. Remus didn't seem ridiculously suspicious of her, moreover Sirius who his eyes went towards briefly. "I just get sick a lot, is all. No big deal."

Hermione doubted that, but wasn't going to question him, as any normal person would have.

"Well, I hope you get better."

A pitiful laugh made her feel kinda bad for saying it at all, but, she did hope the best for him.

"Well, I doubt I'll get better, but thanks anyways," Remus said, and it sounded so sincere that Hermione wished there was something she could do to cure him.

"Yeah... read anything good lately?"

"Not really, just some muggle stuff. Um, Melville and Hawthorne."

"Really?" This excited Hermione, "I love Hawthorne. My parents were big Shakespeare fans, liking more of the lyrical stuff, but The Scarlet Letter is my favorite."

Remus laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I haven't read that one, I have a thing about popular books from authors. I just go straight for the underdog and can never seem to get past it."

"That's brilliant," Hermione assured him, "I like the obscure stuff too. The House of the Seven Gables... have you ever read Dickens?"

"Have I?" He retorted, the scoff of disbelief enough to know Hermione shouldn't have even questioned it. "Great Expectations is my all time favorite. The plot twist when you read it the first time is ground-shaking. I felt like the world was ripped out from beneath me."

"I like the fact that Pip was such a good person to someone so bad to him that, even though she couldnt love, he found a way to earn whatever it was Estella had. It was... an amazing story."

Remus smiled in agreement.

"You know, we should talk about this more often... if you'd like. I don't get to talk muggle literature every day." There was a shift in the environment around them, and Hermione felt like she was getting cornered.

Was he asking her out, or did he really want to talk muggle books? She failed to believe that Remus Lupin was anything close to bisexual, but apparently she was wrong... maybe. Hermione should really stop thinking the worst about her friends... even if the other boys were quietly chatting now, and Remus was taking odd glances over to them.

What would it hurt if she said yes now and then simply denied any type of romantics in the future?

"I'd love that. Merlin knows I don't get to talk about them either... well, Merlin wouldn't know anything about that, would he?"

Remus laughed, and she watched his expression turn light. If she could provide him that type of happiness, then why not indulge him as a friend?

The crew retired late that evening, and Hermione and Remus spent the rest of the night going over what plot that they'd read was the best and why. Overall, it was a good evening, and Hermione felt like it was the start of something good because now she'd truly made friends with the Marauders.

A/N

Where I am, it is no longer Wednesday, in the next time zone over though? We're in business.

Anyways, hoping you're enjoying as always, and I just wanted to say that I really appreciate everyone who comes upon this book now and in the future and gives it a read! I'm so thankful you're here and hopefully getting your time's worth out of this!