Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, simply this plot, Emma Danes, Rose Sanders and random little people that happen to have no name, just cuz I'm really lazy lol.

So, content with the last chapter? I was! I know you guys will really like this one though…

Still So Close to You
By Darkwing731
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((--Chapter Twenty--))
Sweet Retribution

-

"Sign it," Damocles said firmly. Hermione glanced over her shoulder, and borrowing the quill from Belby, signed it quickly. He snatched the paper back from her, and it suddenly gleamed blue; the confirmation color.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she had managed to find Remus an adequate birthday present, belated as it was. Pulling out a piece of parchment, Hermione began writing. "Now, here are the ingredients and what you need to do…"

-

The Marauders had caught up with Remus and Hermione eventually, mentioning nothing of the intrusion on the couple, although Sirius and James were frequently smirking. Lily forced them to study, and Hermione helped them all peacefully, content that the year was wrapping up and that she had more free time than she was ever used to.

"Anyone need flashcards? Quick Notes?" Hermione offered, pulling parchment out of her bag.

"I need a drink," Sirius said under his breath.

"Ooh, good idea. After this is all over, shall we head to Hogsmeade?" James suggested.

"And get pissed? No!" Lily snapped. "I'm not nursing any hangover of yours."

"…Guys Night Only," James whispered to Sirius, and the two boys laughed. Lily clearly did not approve.

"Go ahead and get piss drunk, I'm not doing anything for you!" she said angrily to James. He shrunk in his seat as she started yelling. "In fact, I'll deprive you of magic, Advil and sleep, and I'll take down the shades!"

"No, Lily no!" James whined. "What If I don’t come back drunk? Can't I go and drink, then return fine?"

"You, retiring to bed sober?" Lily scoffed. Hermione exchanged a look with Remus.

"I think I might leave this scene," she said quietly as Lily and James' voice slowly rose higher than the recommended whisper. "Before Madam Pince comes around." Hermione could hear the irate footsteps of the Librarian coming ever closer, ready to enforce her rules.

The brunette pushed out of her chair before trouble arrived, passing Madam Pince in the Q section, and headed for the doors. She stepped into the hallway, giggling a bit to herself, and Remus appeared right behind her.

"She's a madwoman," Remus commented, smirking. Hermione laughed.

"If she didn't house the books, I wouldn’t protest to everyone jeering her." The couple laughed, stepping closer to each other as they did. Remus laced his fingers with Hermione's, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't lock the door," he murmured quietly.

"That's all right; we'll just have to finish what we started some other time," Hermione whispered. Eyes closed contently, they kissed silently in the hallway until someone interrupted them.

"Oh, what a display. Makes me a tad nauseous, though," remarked a snide voice. It belonged to Rose Sanders, and behind her stood several other Slytherin girls.

Remus gripped Hermione's hand tightly. "Your comments seem to lack any heart, Sanders. What, have your normal tricks turned you down?" Hermione sneered.

"Clever," Rose said sarcastically.

"I wouldn’t be accusing Rose of tricks, Mudblood," another voice drawled. Hermione didn’t even have to look; it was Narcissa Black. "After all, you're quite fond of them, aren't you?"

"At least my boyfriend won't make a living by being a murderer," Hermione hissed. "You think Malfoy will go on to do great things? Serving for Voldemort, he'll be on his knees for the rest of his life, Black. What’s that suggest to you?" Remus laughed loudly.

Narcissa growled. "Lucius is purer than either of you could ever hope to be."

"You mean inbred," Remus corrected her, and Hermione smiled viciously at Narcissa.

"It's going to quite a shock, Mudblood, when none of us are expelled," Rose said quietly. "Squealing on us will just get you into more trouble."

"Malfoy can't touch me," Hermione hissed. "He's physically restricted from coming anywhere close to me. I'm not scared of you."

"But you're scared of Lucius," Narcissa drawled, eyes gleaming.

"He'll become a murderer, Black; no one has to be clairvoyant to tell. That at least strikes fear—not respect," Remus growled. "Malfoy's the only one with any daring; we've already solved that problem, and we're certainly not afraid of a group of girls."

Rose smiled unpleasantly, and Remus' stomach twisted. "Infiltration is the easiest form of attack, Remus; I would think you would know that, of all people. Lies are the charmer's weapons, and promises are seductive when it comes to men."

"What do you want?" Hermione bellowed, disturbed by Rose's haunting words. Voldemort feeds them these phrases, doesn’t he? "It's over! Leave us alone!"

"Mudblood, you must understand… we've only just started." The words sent chills down Hermione's spine.

"What's going on?"

The Library doors opened, revealing James and Lily, Sirius and Peter. The Slytherins turned to the new group. "Don't you cretins have somewhere to be, especially somewhere other than this school? Seeing as you're all about to be expelled," James hissed.

"Expelled?" Narcissa repeated, looking at Rose and laughing with her. "We might face a detention, at the very least."

"Assault on another student, kidnap, conspiracy," Lily spat. "It's all Azkaban worthy, if you ask me, Black."

"No one cares what you think, Mudblood," Narcissa said smoothly, ignoring Lily and Hermione's snarling. "Besides, all evidence to support your claim is weak and without full support."

"Your little group will be the only thing without full support," James said.

"Between the six of us, your futures are ruined," Remus said in a low, dark voice. "You're not powerful any longer."

Rose grinned, a maniacal, bestial look creeping into her eyes. "The only restrictions we have are the castle walls."

"Dumbledore will protect us!" Peter shouted abruptly. Rose turned sharply to Peter, her malicious smile widening.

"The old fool waves his wand around and spouts nonsense. Haven't you figured it out?" she asked in mock-curiosity. Peter shivered and glared at her.

"Dumbledore can defeat You-Know-You," Peter hissed. Only if Harry's with him, Hermione thought to herself.

"Peter," Rose cooed, drawing out his name and tasting it, a twisted smirk on her lips. "You're a fool."

"Murderer," he croaked; Peter recoiled at his own words, stepping behind his friends. The Slytherins started laughing, and close to tears, Peter turned and ran.

"Wait!" James took chase after him, Lily and Sirius in his wake, puzzled and worried. Remus and Hermione stood their ground, glaring.

Rose's smirk faded from her lips, taken by a haunting, malevolent look. She cautiously walked to them, Hermione bristling and clutching Remus protectively as she drew closer. Rose was only a half meter away, now. No one else would hear her words.

"We will have revenge, Granger."

-x-x-x-

A strange assortment of students were seated in a small room, Head of Slytherin and Gryffindor present, along with the Headmaster and, surprisingly, the Minister of Magic. No one looked pleasant to see him; no one spoke and discussed the latest politics. In fact, the spiraling, screaming silence was grim.

The Headmaster slowly unrolled a long piece of parchment, and began to read. "The following students have been expelled for lack of sufficient evidence and alibis: Pandora Ratum, Lorna Knox, Demeter Lymus, Liam Royle, Rodrick Shaffer, Theodore Scythe, Damian Slade, Rigel Furiae, and Saiphio Knox."

Slytherin's hung their heads, sighing shortly and wishing for only a brief, bitter moment that it had never happened, they had backed out—but they had chosen this for their Lord. They had to accept the bruises they gained for following him.

"The following student's will be suspended for a minimal amount of two weeks," Dumbledore ordered, his voice deep and disapproving. He recited names slowly, letting each student savor the sweet taste of relief, however shackled it was, and went onto the next. Names were voiced, names no one had ever questioned before, names that surely had nothing to do with it… but had.

The Marauders crouched outside the door, Hermione and Lily under the Invisibility Cloak, and the boys secured with Disillusionment Charms. They said nothing at the ironic role-call. Sirius, however, couldn’t withhold his gasp when Dumbledore called "Regulus Black" among the suspended students.

"Hermione, I-I had no idea…" Sirius gasped, and they could all hear his breathing, erratic and heavy.

"Its fine, Sirius," Hermione assured him quietly. "I don't recall meeting him anyway."

"Quiet!" Lily said suddenly. They listened sharply as Dumbledore said: "And the following students have provided sufficient evidence, and solid alibis: Rose Sanders, Emma Danes, Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape…"

"What's wrong with him?" Remus snarled suddenly. "He knows Malfoy did all those things!"

"Malfoy is powerful, Remus," James said tensely. "Slytherins would hail him King if they could actually do that."

"But—"

"Most of the Illimni are suspended, many of his leading followers were too, and expelled. He can't do much now," Hermione interrupted Remus quickly. "He's got nowhere to go."

"I'm worried for you still," Remus whispered, and Hermione heart swelled; a faint smile crossed her lips, but it did little to express the powerful feeling inside of her chest.

"We best listen to the rest of the names, just in case," Lily hushed them. "Dumbledore might tell the Suspended Ones what they've got to do. It will be ever so fun to taunt them tomorrow about it."

"Those who are expelled will follow their Head of House to their dormitory, gather their immediate belongings and wait in the main foyer with the Minister. The elves will bring the remaining belongings to the train. Those who are suspended will form a single line, and I will each give you the amount of time you will be suspended for." Dumbledore paused, and Hermione imagined him closing his eyes and speaking very reluctantly.

"The rest… are free to go."

"We better move," Peter said suddenly.

"We don’t want another closet incident—OW," Sirius yelped as Lily hit him. The group rushed up the hallway and, removing the charms and cloaks, travelled slowly back to the Gryffindor dormitory.

Remus and Hermione laced their hands together, watching James and Lily come together like magnets. The Potter put an arm around her shoulders, pressing his forehead to hers.

"They go so well together," Hermione reflected quietly; Remus nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if James ended up proposing to her as soon as exams were over," Remus predicted, and Hermione laughed. "I can see the two of them creaking away in rocking chairs at a hundred and two."

They'll only have the next, what, two years? Hermione thought forlornly to herself. She squeezed Remus' hand, and ducked under his arm as he brought it around her neck. She buried her head in his shoulder, grateful that Remus was hers and no one else's.

"Tell me they live happily ever after," Remus whispered softly. Hermione shook her head.

"I can't tell," she replied. "I can't. After everything that I've rearranged…"

"I won't tell a soul," Remus promised. Hermione shifted and looked into his eyes.

"If I told you, you'd hate me," she said gravely. He looked shocked.

"They don’t?" Hermione shook her head.

"I wouldn’t say that. But I'm not saying anything, Remus. You know I can't."

"It's all right." Hermione heard the disappointed sigh, but it didn’t seem as if Remus tried to hide it. The werewolf wanted happiness for everyone, his friends most important, and Hermione was well aware. But nothing could compel her to inform the devastation that would rupture in a few years time.

"It makes me worry, though," Remus said quietly. "I can't imagine doing anything without them, if they were to, you know…"

"You've got much more to worry about at the moment," Hermione said darkly, squeezing his hand, thinking about Peter. Something was not quite right about his situation, and if she could only find out more…

I would know how loyal he really is to the Dark Lord.

-x-x-x-

Whatever plans Hermione had concocted to investigate Peter Pettigrew was stopped short as the Marauders all feverishly studied for their upcoming exams. As April died out with a last vain gust of wind and showers, every student in the castle was not without quills and parchment, studying becoming a seemingly permanent habit.

Exempt from the exams, which thoroughly frustrated the girl, Hermione could do nothing but slowly put her affairs in order. There were many things she wanted to accomplish before she was sent back to her own time: give Remus his present, investigate Peter, get Lucius Malfoy out of her hair once and for all, undermine the Illimni completely, and several smaller, less important things.

However imperative those things were, nothing stood above the desire to have a meaningful, actually functional relationship with Remus without things getting in the way. It was times like these, when danger was gone, that she wished it could've happened, but the ominous pile of homework and the hovering shadow of NEWT's restricted the time they could spend together.

For once, Hermione felt a tiny bit mutinous towards the headmaster.

The constant hours in the library, however, put a damper on whatever resentment managed to gather. The library brought nothing but joy to her, and the fact that at least she and Remus could spend time together there (despite the fact that the time was spent on books and not on snogging) meant a great deal to her. Exams, at least, brought them together in one way.

May crept over the castle with warm weather and a generous warmth that was absent throughout most of spring. Time spent studying was usually spent outside, where at least students had the option to stare at the lake or their friends for a mental respite.

Leaving the library on a particularly warm Thursday afternoon, Hermione traveled from the library to the grounds, to meet the Marauders and Lily. With her nose in Concocting Compatible Concoctions, her feet led her blindly down the steps, around corners, through the corridors and flights of stairs without having her look up.

Turning quickly through the pages, she imbibed all she could about the Importance of Ingredients from chapter 7, wondering if Damocles Belby had read this book, knowing how useful it could be to him, she turned another corner but stopped short at the sound of a drawling voice.

"Well well… look who it is."

Rooted to the spot, heart threatening to burst out of her ribcage in fear, Hermione looked up from her book.

Lucius Malfoy was at the front of a handful of Slytherins, the few that had managed to escape expulsion. In such a small number, they looked much less threatening, but Hermione knew that at a drop of a hat, the remainder of the Illimni could turn up, and she could be in real trouble.

Lucius and Hermione did nothing but stare at each other, stock-still and waiting for the other to make a move. Malfoy's cronies behind him were all watching her hungrily, wanting revenge on her more than anything else, but were waiting for Lucius' consent.

But if Lucius attacked Hermione, he would be expelled, and they all knew that.

Tensing, Hermione flexed her fingers and in a fluid move, drew her wand; seconds later, the group of Slytherins had done the same, all except for Lucius. He narrowed his eyes, never taking them off of her, forcing her to keep eye contact.

"Expulsion does little to stop me, Granger," Lucius said quietly, silver eyes gleaming, more menacing then she had seen before.

"Well you seem to be doing a lot without your followers, don't you?" Hermione spat. "Face it Malfoy, you've lost."

"It's only these castle walls that restrict me," he snarled. "And its no secret you'll be with that dirty boyfriend of yours when school ends. Where else would you go, Granger? You've been cornered, and you know it."

"You underestimate Dumbledore, Malfoy," Hermione hissed.

"And you underestimate the Dark Lord, you filthy little Mudblood."

"You can't do anything at all anymore, can you Malfoy? That must anger you so much," Hermione taunted. "How does Daddy feel about that? His precious little boy can't even follow through with Voldemort's—"

"I am more capable than anyone!" Lucius roared, whipping out his own wand in a flash. He gripped it so tightly his knuckles were white. Hermione laughed at him.

"But you can't even stop one little Muggle-born," Hermione reminded him, an almost vicious smile on her face. Her face fell into a dark, deadpan look. "Nothing you can do will enable you to touch me."

Lucius snarled in anger, and in the moments where Hermione knew he would attack her, not magically, but lunge at her, her mind retaliated in anger, and followed by the noise of a gunshot, Malfoy was thrown off his feet and into the air.

He skidded to a halt far behind his team of Slytherins, sprawled out on the floor. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hermione turned and ran down the adjacent corridor, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds, ready to take down those who pursued her.

When Hermione arrived, panting, the Marauders knew instantly that something was wrong.

"What? What is it?" demanded James. Hermione sat down next to Remus with a large gulp of air, chest still heaving.

"Nothing, just a spot of trouble with Malfoy," she said, but the effect was instantaneous; Remus roared in anger, and James and Sirius leapt to their feet, wands drawn, looking around for the Slytherin.

"Its fine," Hermione assured, placating Remus. "I wasn’t hurt, no one came near me, we just had a little row and then I left." Simplified to the smallest truth, Hermione admitted to herself.

"What did Malfoy say to you?" Sirius inquired. Hermione chewed her lip for a moment, looking around.

"Where's Lily?" she asked.

"Head duties, but don’t change the subject," James said hastily. "Well?"

"But you're Head Boy, James!" Hermione cried reproachfully.

"Never mind it, it's a separate thing. I've already finished mine. What did Malfoy say?"

"He sort of, erm, threatened me… but he can't carry it out!" Hermione added hastily as they exchanged angry looks. "He just said as much as Sanders did, that the castle walls were his only restriction."

"You think its rubbish, what he's saying?" Remus asked sharply. Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Remus cut in; "He's well informed, we all know that, and he's bloody right! As soon as you leave Hogwarts, Hermione, things are going to get very complicated."

"Because I have such a simple life at Hogwarts," Hermione said sarcastically. "I'm very well aware that Malfoy plans to attack after school is finished. And I've got it covered, alright? I'm going to talk to Dumbledore about it."

"About what?" James inquired. "Let us know, there's strength in numbers."

Hermione had an inexplicable rush of affection for the boys sitting around her. She smiled. "Have you ever heard of the Fidelius Charm?"

-x-x-x-

Damocles Belby worked easily under pressure, harder than he would if he was not given a deadline.

Much more than damned Potter can say, Belby thought angrily to himself. Why Dumbledore had chosen Quidditch Hero, Evans-Infatuated, numskull Potter to be Head Boy was simply beyond Damocles—he couldn't stand the arrogant Gryffindor, not one bit.

But the fact that Potter had beaten him, Damocles Belby, to the Ravenclaw's rightful spot was just intolerable.

Time that wasn't spent on the Wolfsbane Potion was spent pondering the possibilities of who Jane Lewis wanted to give the actual Potion to. Who was a werewolf? Who could it be? However, he didn’t spend much time stuck on the fruitless thinking.

His main concern was actually getting this damned potion right; if Jane Lewis was in fact right, and not giving him the ingredients to a Potion she knew was going to fail, why would she just hand it all to him? Did fame and fortune mean nothing to her?

If she knows how to make this potion, I doubt she'll need to try very hard to be famous…

Still, he worried. Was she setting him up for a prank? She did, after all, congregate with that annoying fool James Potter—of course, that could mean absolutely nothing. Friends did little to define a person. Damocles couldn’t help but be a little wary, though. It wasn't like him to agree this easily, on something that meant so much to him.

The thought of fame and fortune, praise and to be, finally, accepted, drove Damocles on.

Eventually, he managed to get the ingredients, the time, and the patience to try and try again to make a successful Wolfsbane Potion. Damocles had followed every little instruction Jane Lewis had given him, straight down to the exact color of each stage, the tiniest amount of liquid, to every last piece of dirt on one of the roots. All that needed to be done now was to let the potion mature.

Jane Lewis was sitting amongst her Gryffindor friends—Lupin, Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Evans—outside on a boiling Sunday beneath one of the shadier trees. Books were piled around the group, but they really seemed to be neglecting the books.

Damocles approached the Gryffindors nervously, remembering quite involuntarily the number of pranks Potter and Black had pulled on him. As he drew closer, they grew quiet.

"Hello Damocles," Jane greeted sincerely.

"Hi; can I talk to you?" Damocles asked, and the brunette nodded. "Alone."

"Sure." Damocles moved far enough away from the suspicious boys, and talked in a low voice to Jane.

"I think it's done, Lewis. I'm not very sure though," he added apprehensively. "I've followed all the directions, it's the right color, and—"

"You've let it mature?" Damocles nodded, and Jane did the same. "Excellent. I'll need to see it before I take some to my friend though—can you meet me on the first floor, in classroom eleven after dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, I can arrange that. I might be a tad late, though—the cauldron's a bit hard to conceal, if you know what I mean."

"Disillusionment Charm," Jane supplied offhandedly. "Better yet, Invisibility Charm."

"Easy enough," Damocles agreed. "Alright, classroom eleven after dinner tonight. I'll see you."

"Bye." Jane and Damocles parted, the Ravenclaw going back to the castle to attend back to his studies, and Jane back to her group of friends. Now that Jane would inspect the potion, Damocles could stop bloody worrying.

Jane's mates waited only seconds before interrogating her about the short meeting with Belby, and Damocles smiled. He sincerely hoped all the vicious rumors about her weren't true, because this Jane Lewis girl seemed genuinely nice.

-x-x-x-

"Why were you talking to that swot?" Sirius asked curiously, and Hermione glared at him.

"None of your business," Hermione sniffed.

"Can it be my business?" James asked. Hermione smiled.

"Ask no questions, and I’ll tell no lies," Hermione chanted, grinning as she recalled the Weasley twins saying that. Thinking of them, of the actual Weasley family, caused her chest to seize up painfully for a moment.

"I think it's Mooney's right to know, at least. What if you're having an affair with that Ravenclaw?" Sirius pointed out, smirking.

Hermione turned to Remus, and put her hand to her forehead in mock-despair. "Oh Remus, I am having an affair!"

"I knew it all along," Remus cried, feigning hurt. The couple looked at each other and grinned. Settling back down beside Remus, Hermione picked up a book.

"At least tell me," Remus breathed in Hermione's ear. She twisted around and smiled at him.

"Nope, never. It's a surprise, my dear," Hermione murmured, tapping his nose. He laughed and planted a swift kiss on her cheek.

Taking the hint that the subject was closed, the Marauders fell back into their previous discussion: the Marauder's Map.

"Well it could just be another flaw in the system," James suggested, shrugging. Without his girlfriend, it appeared that he was incapable of studying. "Like the names, for instance."

"That's just because you were too lazy to learn everyone's names, Prongs," Remus shot back.

"You're telling me you know who this blinking girl is then?" James retorted. When Remus failed to respond, James smugly said, "I thought so."

"Not all of the secret passages show up," Sirius said, lying on his back and prodding his shoes with his wand. "We've got to add them every time we find one."

"But those don't blink!" James stressed. "Why does it blink?"

"Laws of Magic," Hermione suggested, only mildly aware (and interested) in what they were talking about. "The person could be tampering with the school's magic, or the ancient fields the Founders wove into the castle walls."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Sirius said darkly. "Only a Slytherin would do that."

"Think Hermione's right?" Remus asked his friends. They shrugged. "Wormtail?"

"Mmmergdhfed," the mousy Gryffindor grunted. He was propped up against a tree, but clearly his mates had just woken him up.

"Shall we leave him?" Sirius whispered.

"He's been sleeping horribly, so let's. But Hermione, what can tamper with the ancient magic in the school walls?" James asked.

"Dark Magic," Remus said.

"Time Travel," Hermione added, and they all grinned at her. "Possibly transformation: Animagi, Potions, Metamorphosing, Identity change, things like that, I would assume."

"So if Dumbledore had a Map likes ours—"

"He would know that your three," Hermione looked pointedly at James, Sirius and Peter, "were illegal Animagus."

"Alright. If there aren't anymore possibilities, we should try and track down this Blinking Girl and find out what she's up to, because it's really annoying that she blinks so often," Remus advised.

"We can't just walk up to a Slytherin and go, 'excuse me, are you changing your identity?'" Sirius said scathingly. "We've got to watch."

"You mean stalk." The coldness of Hermione's voice startled Sirius.

"W-what?"

"You'd be stalking this poor girl—I don’t care if she's Slytherin, Sirius! Stalking is illegal," Hermione warned. "Who is it anyway?"

"Some Slytherin girl," James muttered. "I've no idea what year she's in, and I don't recall Darien Parkinson having any living relatives. He's the youngest, I thought."

Hermione blinked, once, twice, and then again, her mind going strangely blank, but her pulse racing. "What did you say?"

"I didn't recall Darien Parkinson having any living relatives… this blinking dot's name is Pansy Parkinson, and I can't figure out for the life of me—"

Hermione's shriek stopped the words at once. Disconcerted, the Potter demanded to know what was wrong. Trembling hands were pressed up against Hermione's mouth, and she wouldn't speak; the only thing that seemed to reveal what was wrong were her eyes, round and terrified.

"Let me infer," Remus offered, having a gut feeling he knew that Hermione's reaction was about. "This has happened several times, has it not? Hermione gasps and then doesn't say anything?" James and Sirius nodded.

"When I mentioned Narcissa Black," James informed him.

"Lily told me once that she mentioned Damocles Belby, and Hermione did the same thing," Sirius piped up.

"This means only one thing, then," Remus decided. "Hermione knows this girl."

"You mean, from the future?" Sirius asked quietly. Hermione had lowered her hands to her lap, but her bottom lip was still trembling.

"Her being here explains so much," Hermione whispered. "I need the Marauder's Map, or I need to see where Parkinson is. Right now!" Hermione urged when no one moved for the Map.

James opened it, and he, Sirius, and Remus poured over the Map until they found her. "Right here, in the Slytherin dormitories. She's not blinking now."

"How long has she been blinking?" Hermione asked quickly, her mind racing. Depending on how long Pansy Parkinson had been at Hogwarts in the Marauders year with Hermione, every foreboding, painful thing that happened would've been instigated by her.

That cow made my life hell, Hermione thought viciously to herself. I'll get her for this, if it's the last thing I do…

"We don’t really know. We just noticed it a few weeks ago, but since you showed up, way back in December, funny things have been happening with the Map," Sirius said uneasily. "The blinking is really the least of our problems, but it's been the most noticeable."

"What other problems?" Hermione asked.

"Sometimes large groups of people just, well, disappeared. Then they appear somewhere random," James said.

"Others have rings around them… some just look mutated," Sirius muttered. Hermione remained silent, because she could offer no explanation.

"Look, if we can just try and find Parkinson alone, I know what to do," Hermione said darkly. "We just need to be watching the Map all the time."

The Marauders all exchanged glances; "We can do that."

Behind them, Peter muttered loudly in his sleep, before shifting and falling on his shoulder. He clutched his book bag, buried his face in it, and resumed sleeping contentedly.

-x-x-x-

The only sound that alerted Damocles was the sharp snap as the door closed. Jane Lewis stood with a small cauldron and a goblet in her hands.

"Surprisingly no one gave me suspicious looks as they saw me carry these," Jane said, gesturing to the objects that accompanied her. She set them down on the nearest desk.

Jane approached the cauldron Damocles had set up; he fidgeted nervously, hoping to Merlin that he had gotten the Potion right. The Wolfsbane Potion seemed to gain her approval, after a long moment where she muttered to herself.

"Perfect," she announced, and smiled proudly at Damocles. "You've done it really well, actually. I think you would've produced the very same thing even if I hadn't stepped in."

"I wish you would tell me how you knew," Damocles admitted longingly, and Jane gave him an apologetic half-smile.

"I'd rather not. I'm just grateful you've agreed to this. I want you to get all the fame and glory for this potion, Damocles," Jane told him seriously.

"But you—"

"You must promise never to tell anyone that I've helped you, alright?" Hesitantly, Damocles nodded.

"How much do you need?" he asked after a long pause in which they both stared down at the Wolfsbane Potion.

"A weeks worth. The full moon starts tomorrow, so it should be fine for another day," Jane decided. Damocles brought over her cauldron and the goblet; she slowly started scooping potion into the goblet, and emptied it into her own cauldron.

"Now listen," Jane started, scooping more and more potion. "When I leave tonight, make sure to tell no one, but bring this to Professor Dumbledore. Tell him about your research, and ask him to set you up with Ministry officials, and Healers from Saint Mungo's, alright?"

"They'll test it to see if it really works," Damocles realized, and Jane nodded.

"You'll be rich before you leave school," Jane said quietly, and Damocles' heart suddenly inflated with joy.

"Your werewolf friend will realize it's me that's made the potion, then," Damocles said, but the Gryffindor shrugged.

"I'll tell my friend you and I know each other. He's not going to mind, as long as the potion works."

"Is he your boyfriend?" The question was so random that Jane's grip on the goblet slipped; the Wolfsbane Potion went spilling, and she dropped the cup on the floor.

"Sorry," she muttered, picking it up. "And no, he's not. Just a friend." Damocles stared at her, and Jane looked back defiantly. "Don’t believe me?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Damocles asked, very quietly; Jane seemed to understand the intent of his question, and nodded.

"Remus Lupin," she informed him. When Damocles looked away, Jane went back to scooping potion from his cauldron to hers in silence.

Jane finished, and stood still for a moment, before speaking rather awkwardly. "So, erm… thanks, Damocles. This really means a lot to me."

"I won't tell anyone about you," he mumbled. "I don’t understand why you don't want me to."

Jane laughed. "I can't explain. If I could, then there would be too many problems for me to handle. I'm sorry I can't," she added. "But at least you'll be happy."

Withdrawing her wand, Jane cast an Invisibility Charm on the cauldron, and using "Wingardium Leviosa!" Jane directed her cauldron towards the door, clutching her goblet. She turned the handle, stepped out, and with a last grateful smile at Damocles Belby, left him alone in classroom eleven with his soon-to-be award-winning potion.

He couldn’t help but feel that he had just let fortune slip out of his hands by letting Jane Lewis leave.

-x-x-x-

"Mmmergdhfed!" Sirius exclaimed one morning through a mouthful of food, pointing down at the Marauder's Map. He tapped the parchment excitedly, beckoning the other Marauders and Lily.

Having sat at an emptier part of the Gryffindor table, the Marauders were free from prying eyes as they searched for Pansy Parkinson, the girl Hermione was so keen to find. James and Remus shoved Sirius' plate away from the Map, and looked for the dot.

The dot labeled Pansy Parkinson was sitting at the Slytherin table across from Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black.

"But that's Rose Sanders!" Lily argued, pointing across the hall; the four boys looked up, and they too saw that Rose Sanders was sitting across from Malfoy and Black, chatting amiably.

"And Jane Lewis is Hermione Granger," Remus said quietly. "Don't you understand?"

"Jane!" Lily shrieked as soon as the Gryffindor stepped into the great hall. "We found it!"

Hermione hurried over, sliding across the bench next to Remus and grabbing the Map. Her finger quickly found Pansy Parkinson, but when Hermione searched the Slytherin table, she frowned.

Abruptly, Hermione gasped. "Rose Sanders!" That must mean…

Flipping the Map and opening a different flap, Hermione's hands sought out the Slytherin house, wanting desperately to be right, to finally verify the sneaking suspicion… The Marauders and Lily looked on apprehensively, only reacting when Hermione yelled triumphantly.

"The Polyjuice Potion!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don’t you get it? Pansy and Rose have been switching off the role of Rose Sanders! This makes so much sense!"

"But why would they do that?" Remus questioned, and despite Hermione's mouth opening automatically to reply, she could come up with nothing.

It took longer than expected for Hermione to procure a reasonable excuse for why Pansy was there. Darien Parkinson is her father, isn't he? Obviously her father had something to do with it, but what about Rose? Rose Sanders played an even larger part than this faceless Darien Parkinson.

"Point out Darien Parkinson," Hermione murmured. The Marauders did so quickly, and Hermione studied him: dark, longish brown hair that fell around his ears, a short, buttoned nose, dark quick eyes and a smirk that Hermione had always seen on Pansy's lips.

And Rose? Tied in a plait today, Rose's lighter brown hair curled slightly, by the looks of the end of her braid, and her nose was longer; face pointed, and irises a faint blue or green, but the epiphany arrived as she watched Rose throw back her head and laugh, a derisive shriek that Hermione knew.

That must mean…

"I know what she's doing," Hermione said finally, voice low and dark.

"Well what's that going to do for us?" Sirius wanted to know. Hermione smiled slowly, coming to understand that she could revel in this newly discovered fact.

Pushing herself up, Hermione walked around the Gryffindor table and marched boldly across the hall, gaining little attention except from the Slytherin table. Each student she passed quieted, and the Staff table seemed more alert.

Hermione stood near the only person she could feel remotely comfortable near: Snape. He gave her a disgusted look and pushed his classmates down, just so he could get away from her. Hermione stood in the little clearing and smiled viciously at Pansy.

"Rose Sanders!" Hermione yelled, and after a moment, the Slytherin girl turned and glared at her.

"You've made me lose my appetite, Mudblood," Rose sighed, pushing aware her food.

"If you ever thought that I was in trouble for being who I am," Hermione accused stoutly, "then think again, Rose. I know you're little secret, and all about you and your mum. How did she enjoy plucking hairs from her head every few hours?" Rose blanched, and she looked shocked.

"That's right. I'll see you at school." Hermione watched in satisfaction as Rose, or better yet, Pansy Parkinson, paler than a ghost, looked around for some sort of support, found none, and got up from the bench.

"This is far from over!" Pansy screamed, but despite her threat she turned and ran from the safety of the great hall.

Revenge was never sweeter.

-
-x-x-x-
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Author's Notes: next chapter there will be a bit more on Pansy, so I hope your shock here just keeps your curiosity going! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as its getting closer and closer to the end of the story, and less complicated, but more intense. Well it is for me, anyway, lol.

Oh, and also. This chapter is totally dedicated to my awesome friend Faithful Wheezy! MMMERGDHFED!

Thanks for reading, so please review!