One Last Try [HP Jamione fanfic]

30. Bad Blood

A/N: Extra oneshots for this fic will be uploaded to OLT Missing Scenes. The first chapter is uploaded now and is the duel Sirius and Hermione have with Mulciber mentioned in ch26. That's where any further oneshots in this universe will be :D

Holy shit, this chapter ended up being SOOO long! There was just nowhere good to cut it :O So enjoy the extra long chapter. It probably won't happen again LOL.

18th June 1976

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius led the Marauders into the entrance hall, a wide grin on his lips.

"Loved it," Remus said briskly, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" James asked, frowning as he threw a companionable arm around Remus' shoulders, his voice coloured with faux concern. He used his other hand to mess his hair up even more than it already was.

Severus was just behind the Marauders, but wasn't paying them any attention, pouring over his exam paper as he walked. Hermione, linked arm in arm with Lily close behind Severus, rolled her eyes and barely held back a snort at their conversation.

"Think I did," Remus said seriously, as they joined the rest of the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin..." Remus snickered, and Sirius let out his loud barking laugh. James laughed just as loudly, throwing his head back, exposing the column of his throat in a strangely tantalising way, the sunlight getting lost in his thick messy black hair.

Peter frowned, worried and distracted, and didn't join in the laughter, "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail," He sounded anxious, "But I couldn't think what else-"

James snorted, "How thick are you, Wormtail?" He sounded impatient, and Hermione frowned. James wasn't usually so callous and rude to his friends, so she found herself wondering what was going on with him. She wasn't close enough to scold him though, despite being able to clearly hear their conversation. Hermione was so distracted by her annoyance with James that she ended up following after the Marauders when Lily and Severus both split off. "You run around with a werewolf once a month-"

"Keep your voice down!" Remus snapped, jabbing James in the ribs with a pointy elbow.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said smugly, flipping his long hair back out of his face. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least." Hermione couldn't hold in her snort at that, and the Marauders turned to face her with raised eyebrows, "Something to say, Kitten?" Sirius asked with amusement, walking backwards so he could keep looking at her.

"At least? You do know there isn't anything higher than on 'O' right?" She laughed loudly, dancing out of the way when Sirius' retaliated to her doubtful tone by trying to poke her.

James snorted, and pulled a stolen snitch out of the pocket of his robes. He allowed it to fly away about a foot before seizing it again, long fingers wrapping around the small golden ball, crushing the fluttering silver wings. He ruffled his hair again, and Hermione found herself watching his reflexes admiringly, in a way she'd never admired the same in Harry, as the Marauders settled down below a large Beech tree.

She jolted out of her ogling when Frank threw an arm around her shoulders with a chuckle, wiggling his eyebrows at her. It'd taken them a little time to get back to the relationship they'd had before they dated, and their friends had been shocked when they broke up, but they were there now.

James had sent her a hopeful look upon discovering they'd broken up, it had worried Hermione and made her feel rather awkward. She still didn't really understand why he apparently fancied her instead of Lily. There were so many questions and confusions around it that she'd been trying to ignore him since his accidental admission before Eostre.