Tough Talks

Breakfast in the Great Hall was quiet the next morning, the boys weren't used to the transformation yet, and they had yet to make an appearance at the Gryffindor table. Remus sat across from Hermione and Lily eating quietly. Lily had smiled warmly at him when he sat down, but Hermione seemed slightly cool. He worried that maybe he'd done something to upset her, but he couldn't imagine what it might be. Perhaps it was that incident from before the winter break, when she had asked if he could keep a secret from James. No, he didn't think Hermione would stay angry about that. She knew how close all the marauders were. He frowned and chewed his toast slowly. The owls flew in and an elegant black owl landed in front of Hermione who stared at it in shock. Her fingers trembled slightly as she untied the note. Someone else might not have noticed, but Remus did. He could hear her heart racing and saw her eyes widen slightly. The owl took off immediately, and Hermione unrolled the scroll. He heard her sudden intake of breath and saw her cheeks darken in to a dusky rose. Lily tried to sneak a look at the note, but Hermione palmed it.

"What was that?" Lily asked curiously.

"Um, a secret admirer," Hermione lied, blushing even darker. Remus frowned to himself. Why was she lying to Lily? They were very close. As far as he knew, they shared everything with one another.

"Ooh," Lily said with a wicked grin. "Someone to give Amos Diggory a run for his money."

"I wish," Hermione said with a snort and a roll of her eyes. "Remus, do you want to study with us this afternoon? O.W.L.'s are coming up, and Lily and I have designed a comprehensive study plan."

"I'd like that, thank you," he said with a grin. Maybe Hermione wasn't mad at him after all. It also looked as though Hermione wasn't all that happy with Amos Diggory, maybe he'd tell Sirius later, it would probably make the other boy's whole day.

"Hermione? I thought I'd walk you to class," Amos Diggory said gallantly from behind Hermione. Remus saw her slight grimace and the tiny smile that Lily hid behind her hand. Then Hermione turned and smiled brightly at her boyfriend.

"That sounds lovely, Amos. You are so thoughtful," she gushed at him. Remus thought she batted her eyes at him as well. He almost choked on his toast. The couple moved off, Hermione clinging to his arm and fawning on him.

"What was that?" Remus asked, the disgust evident in his voice. Lily snickered.

"Promise you won't tell anybody?" Lily asked him seriously, frowning slightly. The tips of his ears turned pink. He thought for a minute.

"I can't promise not to tell James. Especially if something happens to Hermione," Remus said finally. Lily tugged on a lock of her hair and thought for a minute.

"I guess…I guess that works. Okay, so Regulus has a crush on Hermione, right? She told me you saw the kiss." Lily leaned across the table and spoke as quietly as she could. Remus nodded.

"Yeah, I thought James was going to come unglued," Remus said softly.

"Well, Hermione adores Regulus, but more like a little brother or a friend. She didn't want to lose him as a friend, but she wanted to make it clear that he didn't have a chance as boyfriend material. Enter Amos Diggory." Lily spoke quickly, glancing around her periodically to make sure no one was listening.

"Oh," Remus said. "So she doesn't really like him?"

"Not really. He's condescending. I've watched the way he treats her. If any boyfriend of mine ever said half of what that idiot says I'd hex him, but good." Lily said viciously, stabbing a sausage. James sat down next to her and slid an arm around her shoulders.

"What were you saying about me?" He asked brightly. Lily rolled her eyes at Remus and then chuckled.

"You know, it's a sad day when Potter here would be a step up. Well, if it weren't for the whole ick factor," Lily said with a smile for Remus. He laughed with her until he saw the molten glare coming from James' hazel eyes.

Uh…er…she wasn't saying you were the ick factor," Remus explained quickly. Lily looked up at James. Her heart started to beat a little faster and her cheeks flushed.

"Oh! No, that's not what I meant at all," she said her green eyes wide. James frowned at her.

"Well, what did you mean then?" He asked. Lily jumped up and looked at her bare wrist.

"Oh, is that the time? I'm going to be late! Sorry, I have to go!" Then she fled from the Great Hall as though dementors were chasing her. James frowned at Remus who took a quick sip of pumpkin juice.

"She doesn't like Amos Diggory, she says he doesn't treat Hermione well," Remus gave the shorter answer. "That's what the ick factor was, you can't very well date your own sister."

"Oh," James said in sudden comprehension, his eyes widening and a grin stretching his lips. "So that means I'm decent boyfriend material, right? Right?"

"Sure, Prongs," Sirius drawled with a roll of his eyes. "I've thought that for ages, but you always turn me down."

"That's just because I know you'd end up breaking my heart," James said with a mock-sniffle.

"What can I say, I gotta share the me. I don't want the poor girls to do without now, do I?" Sirius drawled and winked at the Ravenclaw table. A group of girls giggled inanely and Remus rolled his eyes at Peter who snickered.

HP/HG/HP

It was midnight and Hermione's heart was in her throat as she climbed the steps to the Astronomy tower. The note she'd received earlier had already been destroyed. She tried to breathe deeply, to be calm. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, she just knew that she had to. When she reached the top of the tower she saw him. His long hair gleaming silver in the moonlight, his arms crossed across his broad chest. Hermione swallowed convulsively.

"Lucius?" she whispered. He whirled around, his silver-grey eyes pinning her where she stood.

"You were right," he said dully.

"I was?" she asked, confused. He nodded.

"The things I saw," he shuddered, but then immediately controlled himself, a calm mask slipping into place.

"You're willing to fight against him, from the inside?" Hermione asked carefully.

"We would have to be very, very careful," he said carefully. "I can't do anything that would put my family at risk."

"No, of course not," Hermione agreed. "Would you be willing to swear an Unbreakable Vow to me?"

"It would depend," Lucius said slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought. "What would it entail?"

"Basically? Fealty to me," Hermione said bluntly. Lucius was quiet for several minutes.

"What else?" He asked cautiously.

"A vow of secrecy and fidelity. You won't be able to talk about what we will do with anyone who isn't already part of it," Hermione explained further. "I will need you to be the semi-public leader. Anyone we deal with will think that you are the head of this movement. Any recruits, Dumbledore if we decide to approach him. Everyone will think that you are the leader."

"Why?" He asked with a frown.

"Purebloods usually have difficulty taking orders from a woman, and most of the people you will be dealing with will be purebloods. Even Dumbledore, who is fairly liberal for a wizard, has certain blinders on when it comes to the ability of witches," Hermione said bitterly with Old Hermione's experience foremost in her mind.

"That's true," he said thoughtfully. "Is that why you want me to take an Unbreakable Vow? You don't think I'll listen to you?"

"Not exactly. I know things you do not. I have information you do not. Occasionally, you may be asked to do certain things that you will not immediately understand. I can't have you hesitate, or question what I ask you to do. I need your full compliance." Hermione stated flatly. Lucius frowned darkly.

"You won't share any of this information?" He asked.

"Eventually, I will probably share everything with you," Hermione said with a shrug.

"You're not sure of me," Lucius said flatly. Hermione sighed.

"I'm not sure of anyone except Jamie," Hermione said quietly. "These are dangerous times, Lucius."

"True," he said with a sigh. He looked at Hermione. "I've missed you, you know."

"Hmmm. Narcissa Black seems to have softened the pain, a bit," Hermione said with a slight smile. Lucius shrugged.

"I am fond of her. I shall most likely ask for her hand after she graduates," he said matter-of-factly. Hermione nodded. It was a smart move from a pureblood perspective. The Malfoy family was only distantly allied with the Blacks, and that was five or more generations back.

"She will prove to be a good wife to you," Hermione said softly. "She, too, values family above all else."

"You do not miss me then?" Lucius asked with a slight curl to his lip. Hermione hugged herself, wrapping her arms around her middle.

"I care for you, and yes, I miss you," she whispered finally. Lucius' face relaxed and he watched her for another moment or two.

"Fine. I will swear fealty to you," he said at last. "Who will witness it?"

"Severus. He has already sworn the oaths to me."

"When?" Lucius asked with a quirked brow.

"The night of the full moon." Hermione said quietly, looking out at the night sky. Lucius nodded.

"Hermione," he said softly. She turned to look at him and shook her head at the look in his eyes

"No," she whispered. "I can't. You have Narcissa."

"And you have Diggory," he sneered. Hermione nodded.

"Yes. I have Amos." She said softly, grateful for the lie. She turned and ran from the Astronomy tower, from the look in Lucius' eyes, from the strange fluttering feeling in her stomach.

Slipping into the Gryffindor common room was not quite as easy as she might have hoped. Sirius was standing by the girls' dormitory stairs, his arms crossed across his chest, watching her.

"Sirius?" she whispered in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he growled at her. She blinked.

"Why on earth were you waiting for me?" She asked.

"Why are you with Amos if he doesn't treat you well? Does he hurt you?" Sirius seemed incensed. His eyes were difficult to read in the darkness. Hermione sighed heavily.

"No, it's…it's complicated," Hermione said distractedly. Sirius moved toward her and grabbed her arms.

"Explain it then," he demanded. Hermione stared up at him, his face shadowed in the darkness. The traits of the lioness were bleeding into her life more and more. She could see him clearly, even if he thought she couldn't, and he had allowed emotion to shine through. He looked concerned…and something else. Something that made his eyes flare at her and darken. She tilted her face up to him, trying to see him better, and suddenly his lips were on hers. She gave a muffled gasp of surprise, and he used that to kiss her thoroughly, his tongue sliding in easily and plundering her mouth. When he pulled back she was panting slightly, staring at him, and his face had become closed, distant. He almost fled up to the boys' dormitory and she stared after him in shock.