Chapter Text
The familiar ambiance of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour enveloped Hermione as she stepped through the door, the sweet scent of waffle cones and sugary treats mingling with the chatter of customers. She spotted her friends already seated at their usual booth near the window, it seemed she was always the last one to arrive.
With a grin, Hermione made her way over to the table, joining Lily, Marlene, and Mary with a warm greeting.
"Hello!" Hermione greeted, sliding into the booth with a sense of familiarity and comfort. "What's the gossip?"
Lily, her fiery red hair framing her face like a halo, rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, you know, the usual," she replied, her lips quirking into a mischievous smile. "Marlene's latest crush on that Ravenclaw Quidditch player, and Mary's ongoing saga with that Hufflepuff prefect."
Marlene shot Lily a mock glare, her cheeks flushing slightly at the mention of her crush. "Hey, it's not a crush, it's a healthy appreciation for her athletic prowess," she retorted, her tone defiant but her eyes sparkling with amusem*nt.
Mary chuckled, shaking her head at Marlene's antics. "And what about you, Hermione?" she asked, nudging her friend with an elbow. "Any romantic entanglements we should know about?"
Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes at the suggestion. "Please, as if I have time for that," she replied, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. "I'm far too busy with my studies to be worrying about boys."
Lily and Marlene exchanged knowing glances, "Oh, come on, Hermione," Lily teased, her green eyes dancing with amusem*nt. "We all know you've got a soft spot for James Potter."
Hermione felt a blush creep into her cheeks at the mention of James's name, but she quickly masked it with a nonchalant shrug. "James?" she scoffed, feigning indifference. "Please, he's nothing but a friend."
Marlene arched an eyebrow sceptically. "Funny, that's not what we heard," she remarked, a teasing grin tugging at her lips. "Rumour has it you've been spotted sneaking glances at him during Defence Against the Dark Arts."
Hermione's cheeks flushed even brighter at the accusation, but she quickly recovered, plastering on a look of feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied, her tone overly casual. "I'm simply focused on the lesson, that's all."
Mary chuckled, shaking her head at Hermione's attempt to deflect. "Sure, Hermione, whatever you say," she teased, her eyes twinkling with amusem*nt.
The girls turned their attention to Lily next, their mischievous smiles suggesting they had more than a few tricks up their sleeves.
"So, Lily," Marlene began, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Any new developments in the Severus Snape saga?"
Lily's cheeks flushed pink at the mention of Severus's name, but she maintained a composed expression, refusing to give her friends the satisfaction of seeing her flustered. "Severus Snape?" she replied, her tone carefully neutral. "He's my best friend, nothing more."
Mary raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Just a friend, huh?" she teased, her voice dripping with amusem*nt. "That's not what we heard."
Lily's blush deepened, but she refused to take the bait, determined to maintain her cool façade. "Honestly, you lot," she huffed, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. "There's nothing going on between Sev and me. We're just friends, that's all."
Hermione couldn't help but smirk at Lily's deflection, knowing full well that there was more to the story than she was letting on. "Sure, Lily," she replied, her tone teasing. "But we all know there's a thin line between love and friendship."
Marlene nodded in agreement, a mischievous lint in her eyes. "Exactly," she chimed in.
Lily let out an exasperated sigh, realizing that her attempts to deny her feelings were falling on deaf ears. "Fine, you caught me," she admitted, her cheeks flushing crimson. "Maybe there's a tiny, minuscule possibility that I might have feelings for Severus. But it's complicated, okay?"
Mary grinned triumphantly, nudging Lily playfully. "Complicated, huh?" she teased, "Sounds like the start of a classic love story if you ask me."
Lily rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You lot are impossible," she muttered, unable to suppress a small laugh.
...
The Hogwarts Express chugged along, its rhythmic clatter filling the air as it carried its passengers back to Hogwarts for another year of adventure and mischief. Inside one of the train's compartments, the Marauders and Hermione were gathered, their laughter and chatter filling the confined space.
Hermione sat quietly among them, her gaze drifting between her friends as they animatedly discussed their plans for the upcoming school year. But there was something different about the atmosphere in the compartment today.
As she watched Sirius and Remus, she couldn't help but notice the way they kept stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was looking. There was a tension between them, strong, even fiercer than last year.
Sirius's eyes would linger on Remus, a mixture of fondness and something else, and Remus, for his part, seemed equally unable to tear his gaze away from Sirius, his expression caught somewhere between longing and uncertainty.
"Want to go for a walk Mione?" Peter asked suddenly.
As they walked out of the compartment, Peter's invitation for a stroll brought a smile to Hermione's lips. "Why, I would love to, Pete," she replied, matching his enthusiasm.
As they stepped into the corridor, Peter couldn't contain his excitement. "You saw how they were looking at each other, right?" he exclaimed, a playful glint in his eyes.
Hermione chuckled, nodding in agreement. "How could I miss it?" she replied, her laughter mingling with his.
"If you were James," Peter added with a grin, eliciting another round of laughter from both of them.
"They were practically gazing into each other's souls," Peter continued, a playful twinkle in his eye. "It's like they're in their own little world."
Hermione chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "It's quite endearing, actually. But I doubt they even realize it."
Peter nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're right about that. If James wasn't so oblivious, he'd never let them live it down."
Hermione smiled at the thought. "Oh, absolutely! He'd have a field day teasing them."
Peter glanced down the corridor, his gaze lingering on the spot where Remus and Hermione had once come to his rescue all those years ago.
"It's good to be back," Peter murmured, a wistful tone in his voice.
Hermione turned to him, a soft smile playing on her lips. "It is, isn't it?"
Together, they stood in the corridor, lost in their own thoughts of how quickly time had passed.
...
"So when were you planning to tell me you like Sirius?" Hermione's question caught Remus off guard, causing him to choke on his tea. He quickly composed himself, but the guilt was written all over his face.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Remus replied, attempting to deny Hermione's accusation.
But Hermione wasn't convinced. She arched an eyebrow, her expression one of amused disbelief. "Lying to your own sister, Remmy? Wow."
Remus sighed, realizing that he couldn't hide the truth from Hermione. "Alright, maybe I... may have developed some feelings for Sirius," he admitted reluctantly.
Hermione's grin widened, and she nudged Remus playfully. "I knew it! So when were you planning on telling him?"
Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly feeling exposed under Hermione's scrutinizing gaze. "I don't know, Hermione. It's complicated. There's no way Sirius would ever like me back, I mean he's got a new girl every week! And even if he did, who would want to stay with a werewolf?"
"I think your forgetting your not just any werewolf, your a sexy werewolf."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Hermione, you're still wrong."
Hermione shook her head, her expression determined. "That's rubbish, Remus. I'm never wrong actually, it's a skill of mine."
Remus couldn't help but laugh, "Love you sis."
Hermione grinned back at him. "Love you too, Remmy. Now, let's finish our breakfast before the others come in and start making a scene."
Remus nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over him for having Hermione as a sister. With her support, maybe facing his feelings for Sirius wouldn't be as daunting as he had feared.
...
Hermione and Severus sat in the dimly lit classroom, surrounded by stacks of parchment, textbooks, and notebooks.
"You want to find Helga Hufflepuff's cup?" Severus asked incredulously. At first Hermione had assumed that it would be in Bellatrix's vault like it was last time but after thinking back to things Harry had told her she was almost certain Voldemort had made the horcrux, he just hadn't given it to Bellatrix yet.
Hermione nodded, her expression serious as she glanced around the dimly lit classroom. "Yes, Sev. It's crucial that we find it."
Severus sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "And how exactly do you propose we do that?"
Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, deep in thought. "I've been researching possible locations based on historical records and legends, but it's been slow progress. We need some sort of breakthrough."
Severus leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way. Instead of focusing solely on the cup itself, we should consider who might have had access to it or been associated with Hufflepuff."
Hermione's eyes widened as she realized the implications of Severus's suggestion. "You're right. Hufflepuff's cup was a prized possession, and it's likely that someone close to her may have inherited it or been entrusted with its safekeeping."
Severus nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Exactly. We should delve deeper into Hufflepuff's history and see if there are any clues that could lead us to the cup."
With renewed determination, Hermione and Severus poured over their research materials, combing through ancient texts and scrolls in search of any hint that could lead them to Helga Hufflepuff's elusive cup. They knew that time was of the essence, and failure was not an option in their quest to defeat Voldemort and destroy his horcruxes.
...
"What the f*ck!" James exclaimed.
Sirius leaned over James's shoulder, peering at the map. His eyes widened as he saw the familiar dot representing Hermione Granger, accompanied by another dot labelled Severus Snape in the same abandoned classroom.
"What's she doing with Snape?" Sirius muttered, a furrow forming between his brows.
Remus, who had been absorbed in a book, looked up at the commotion. "What's going on?" he asked, noticing the tense atmosphere.
"Look at the map," James said, his voice tight with frustration.
Remus glanced at the map, his eyes scanning the moving dots until they settled on Hermione's. "She's with Snape?" he asked, surprise evident in his tone.
Peter, who had been dozing off, jolted awake at the mention of Snape's name. "What's Snape doing with Hermione?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
The four boys exchanged worried glances, their thoughts racing with possibilities. Snape was known for his dark tendencies, and the idea of Hermione being alone with him set off alarm bells in their minds.
"We have to go check on her," James declared, already moving towards the door.
Sirius nodded, following close behind. "Agreed. Let's go."
Remus and Peter exchanged a look before joining their friends, concern etched on their faces. Whatever Hermione was doing with Snape, they were determined to make sure she was safe.
...
The door to the abandoned classroom flew open with a bang, and the Marauders stormed in, their expressions a mix of concern and anger.
"Snape! What the hell do you think you're doing with Hermione?" James demanded, his voice sharp with accusation.
Hermione and Snape both looked up in surprise, their discussion interrupted by the sudden intrusion.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing in confusion as she glanced between the boys and Snape.
Sirius stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he fixed Snape with a glare. "You better not be pulling anything, Snivellus. Hermione's not someone you should be messing with."
Snape's expression darkened, his gaze flickering from Sirius to Hermione and back again. "I assure you, Black, this is none of your concern," he sneered.
Remus stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "We disagree. Hermione is our friend, and we won't stand by while she's in danger."
Peter hovered nervously behind his friends, his eyes darting between Snape and Hermione.
Hermione stood up, her expression a mixture of frustration and exasperation. "Stop it, all of you!" she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Snape and I are just working on a project together. There's nothing sinister going on."
The boys exchanged sceptical glances, but Hermione's words seemed to deflate some of the tension in the room.
James ran a hand through his hair, his anger fading as he realized Hermione's words were probably true. "Sorry, Hermione. We just saw Snape's name on the map with yours, and we got worried."
Hermione sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I appreciate your concern, but there's really nothing to worry about. Snape and I are just researching something for Defence Against the Dark Arts."
Sirius still looked unconvinced, but he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but if Snape gives you any trouble, you come straight to us, got it?"
"Oh my god I can defend myself you know! Will you all just leave us alone!" Hermione snapped, surprising the boys.
One by one they trudged out of the classroom looking like they had just been shouted at by Minnie.
