Hermione, nervous with her decision, walked down to the breakfast table with a folder tucked tightly under her arm. She gave a quick glance up to the teacher's table. She noticed Professor Lupin had toast in one hand, a student assignment in the other, a stack of already review papers to his left. He was clearly not paying attention to anything going on in the hall, so she continued on her way.

She found her friends, both Harry and Ron, at the far end, laughing about something indistinct from her distance. She sat down, took a deep breath, and before either young wizard could greet her she slid the folder over to Harry. He looked down at the table, the up at her. "Er- Hermione?" He questioned.

"I thought you wouldn't do our homework for us anymore?" Ron ask, reaching past the folder for some raspberry jam.

"It isn't homework," She rolled her eyes. "Its public record Wizengamot transcripts. And I didn't know you were speaking to me again." Ron scowled and went back to his

"Hermione..." Harry dropped is spoon into his breakfast and grabbed the folder, flipping open the cover, skimming the page and shutting the cover back. He tossed it so that it flopped softly onto the table.

"I just thought you might-"

"My Aunt and Uncle have told me what happened over Christmas Break... Thanks." He said, his voice calm, but she could hear the underlying anger.

"But if you look just-" Hermione tried to insist. Harry glanced over her shoulder and it made Hermione turn around and see that Jasmine had came through, was leaned over, talking to Remus. They both glanced over to Gryffindor table then back to each other. Hermione swallowed again.

"I said," Harry said, more firmly, "They told me. Hermione. Thank you." He turned his attention back to Ron. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, and turned once more back to the staff table. She watched Jasmine Lupin kiss her husband on the cheek, causing him to grin and a group of Hufflepuff girls the next table over to giggle. She then looked directly at Hermione before talking down the stairs from the staff table overlooking the hall and toward the door.

It as obvious to Hermione that Harry and Ron were not about to pay her any more attention, as they were now both angry with her. She rose, too, and headed out of the hall. She was not surprised to find the redheaded professor's wife leaned against a wall halfway down the hall toward the library. She stood, twisting a strand of bright orange locks around her finger. "Miss Granger." She greeted, almost overly friendly.

"Mrs. Lupin." She returned, giving a small smile.

"Headed to the library?" She guessed. Hermione only gave a small nod. "Mind if I tag along?"

Again, Hermione nodded. She felt a bit nervous. Jasmine smiled.

"You know the benefit to living with someone with hearing so very advanced?" Jasmine ask softly. "Mixed with the emptied out halls from three whole days being left in break..."

"Ma'am?" Hermione ask. But she knew.

"You're looking out for your friend. And breaking your teacher's heart. He thought you liked him. He prides himself so much in being so popular with you children..." She laughed briefly, then her expression went serious.

"Mrs. Lupin, really, I didn't mean..." Hermione sputter. Jasmine moved around in front of the younger witch and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Woah. Woah. Hold up," she calmed Hermione. "I'm not trying to ambush you. I'm... Catching up with you. I like you." She smiled again, in a sweet, friendly way, and Hermione relaxed a bit.

"You, you do?" She seemed to be a bit uneasy. Jasmine nodded, moved back to beside her, and resumed their walking.

"Yeah, I was the 'pain-in-the-ass-know-it-all' in my year, too. It's an honorable title. Wear it with pride." At this statement, Hermione burst out laughing, too.

"So-" She said after their jest, swallowing her nerves, "What did you want to talk to me about."

"Who'd you go to?" She said, amused. Hermione paused for a moment. "Hermione, come now. You expect me to believe you found something like that out and didn't try to 'alert the authorities' about it?"

"McGonagall." She sighed. Jasmine grinned.

"Oh, my sweet child." She shook her head. "Minerva McGonagall may as well be my mother in law. She knew. She's known since before his sorting." She sighed again. "And we had this talk with Harry. Off campus. Privately. What I need for you to understand is that what you learn here is a very narrow, prejudice view bred from misunderstanding and fear." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah..." Hermione nodded. "I could see that."

"Not hard to believe the magical world would do such a thing for a Muggleborn is it?" Jasmine said softly. "I get that."

"Yeah." Hermione nodded again. The two had come to the doorway of the library. Jasmine paused.

"I'm meant to be on my way to work. But I wanted to catch you first. Because there are two things I wanted you to know. This-" She gestured with her hand as if to indicate the conversation they'd been having. "And that you're a brilliant. An excellent friend. Telling about the broom, being suspicious of us. I'm not offended. I'm impressed. It takes courage and guts to do what is best for your friends when you know it will piss them off. I dig it."

"Oh. Wow. Thanks, Mrs. Lupin. That means a lot." She said, now smiling brightly. "

"Don't worry about Harry. He'll come around. And Ron is far too in love with you to stay mad for too long." She winked and twisted on her heels, leaving Hermione gaping after her last sentence.

Spring. It came quickly for Jasmine, who was mostly spreading her time between work and her husband and nephew. But time was getting close. She wondered if she could possibly find Sirius again. Question him. The warmer the weather got, the more nervous she became.

And nervousness had never sat well on Jasmine.

It lead to wandering around the grounds during class hours when she had nowhere else to be. She missed it, really, the gardens and fields surrounding the castle. It was freeing- the breezes and smell of fresh blooming flowers. She found herself near the lake, walking slowly, picking small purple flowers every few steps and weaving them into a crown.

There was a sound on the other side of the lake, like an animal sneezing. Jasmine's head snapped up, and she looked across the waters to see a black dog staring at her. She shook her head, but placed her crown on her hair, settling the flowers in place and hurried along, as the dog turned and walked back into the forest.

Just inside the trees, Jasmine called out. "Sirius?" She whispered harshly.

Twigs snapped under her feet. "Sirius?"

"Here, Mrs. Moony." He said, voice low. She found him propped against a tree, crouching close to the ground.

"You have anything for me?" She questioned, arms crossed.

"No." He shook his head, giving a one breathed laugh with reply. "Just this." Sirius reached inside his tattered prison uniform shirt and pulled out a badly torn and faded clipping from a newspaper. He help it out, and Jasmine snatched it from him.

"This is Harry's little friend and his family. I know Charlie." She said, handing it back. Sirius gently pushed her hand back.

"Look. The youngest boy's shoulder." He said, blinking slowly. "I like the crown, by the way."

"It's a rat." She said, shrugging. "There are billions of rats, Sirius. People all over the world keep them as pets."

"He's missing a toe. And has that weird long ear hair." He said gesturing. "Look." Jasmine moved the clipping closer to her eyes. She glanced over at Sirius, then at the picture again. Sure enough, the rat gripping itself tightly to the boy's shoulder was missing a toe at the final knuckle.

"Well," Jasmine said, gripping the picture, "This is something. And- few weeks back, Rem mentioned Harry had the map..."

"The map?" Sirius interrupted. "OUR map?"

"Yes, your map. He said Harry said he saw the name Peter Pettigrew on it. It shook him, pretty hard." She sighed. She, too, found a tree to prop against.

"Did you tell him?" He questioned, almost amused look playing at his grey eyes.

"Oh?" She scoffed. "Did I tell my husband I've spoken to his 'wanted-for-murder-former-best-friend'? No, thick wit. I didn't. But now I think I might have to."

"Jazz, I don't want to cause anything." He sighed.

"Look. My marriage is strong enough to withstand this fight. Its-" She swallowed a bit of emotion. "You don't get to know that. You're too familiar, and I have to remember you can't be trusted. Yet. But yes, it'll be a fight. But we will be fine." She shook the clipping. "But this- This is some absolute fuckery. I won't have it."

"You have a strong vocabulary for a lady of your beauty." Sirius laughed.

"Life hasn't been the most kind." She shrugged. "I have to go. I have to-" She stammered for a moment and took off. Sirius sat still, watching her as she walked.

There was an air to his calm that made her afraid. She paced back and forth, hand over her mouth, watching Remus look at the clipping, then his school map from when he and his students had been at Hogwarts. She wanted to vomit. "Say something."

"You-" He said, almost too calmly. "Should have told me." His eye twitched, then snapped up to her. She flinched, and he looked down.

"Rem, please." She whispered.

"Baby-" He sighed. "I..." He stood, came around to where she was pacing, and he took her face in his hands. "Stop panicking."

"You're mad at me..." She broke, her voice cracking as the tears started to rolled. He blew a held breath out of his nose and pulled her into his chest.

"Yeah..." He nodded. "Yeah, I am. But I love you, and I understand what you were thinking. But I'm pissed." He kissed the top of the head.

"I didn't know what you'd do. Or if you'd believe me." She choked out.

"Jasmine." He said firmly. "We have to think."

"Dumbledore?" She questioned.

"No. We need an actual plan." He said, his thumb stroking her jaw. "We will make it right. But sweetness," He kissed her nose. "We have to have a plan."

This might be like. My worst chapter. Ever.
I hope someone out there enjoys it.
Thanks for reading! If you didn't think it was absolutely the worst, maybe drop a review?