Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters, places, descriptions, etc (unless original and created by me) belong to her.

Summary: It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. Hermione finds herself in the Marauders' Era with four new best friends.

A/N: Hi everyone. I'm back. Currently in the process of editing/finishing Pack Mentality. I know I've been gone a while, so I've decided to repost the story from the beginning. You can expect updates every two/three days. Enjoy!

Prologue: Lectori Salutem

There was something feral about their attachment to each other. They often joked they were a family, but in truth it was more than that. They were pack.

It was a small pack, of course, just the five of them, but together they were something wild. James was the alpha, a fact not disputed by anyone. Sirius was his Beta – best friends from the beginning, it couldn't have been any other way. Sirius did his part to challenge James constantly but never grasped for control. Peter was the glue that held them all together, always pulling Remus into the fold whenever the boy hesitated. Remus had his own role, too. The voice of reason, the logical one. For the most part, Remus was the calmest of the four boys, always along for the ride and never one to start a fight. While he wasn't top dog, he did end up making the most important contribution to the group.

She was very much the runt of the pack in everything but truth. She was a hurricane dipped in fire wrapped in lace. Pretty, smart, independent; she was the most dangerous sort of woman. She met Remus first, and the poor boy couldn't help but be pulled into her soul. Two hours later, she was introduced to James and Sirius.

James saw himself in her instantly and took her quickly under his wing. Sirius fought, tooth and nail, to keep her out of the pack. If you asked him now, he wouldn't even remember why he did. And really, he didn't have a reason. The bastard was loyal to a fault. To Sirius, she was a threat, at least at first. But like the Alpha he was, James stepped in and put Sirius in his place with a few chosen words and a well-placed right hook. And then just like that, the pack was set.

James Potter.

Sirius Black.

Peter Pettigrew.

Remus Lupin.

Hermione Granger.

Chapter 1: Requiescat In Pace

August 15, 1997

12 Grimmauld Place

It was just two weeks since they had run from the mess at the Burrow. Hermione was currently curled up in a chair in the library of 12 Grimmauld Place. Her hair was slightly larger than normal, as she had spent the better part of the morning leaning over a cauldron of polyjuice potion. The Golden Trio was in the process of planning to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, and their nerves had been electrified ever since discovering the truth about R.A.B.

Ron and Harry were presently at a grocery store in Little Whinging. Grimmauld Place had not been prepared for the sudden arrival of the three teenagers, and a certain ginger haired boy had quickly demolished what little food had been stored.

It had been Harry's idea to go to Surry. Now that the Dursleys had moved away, there was nothing to tie him to Little Whinging. It had taken a few hours to convince Hermione that they would be safe – they would, after all, be together, and two was better than one. Hermione finally conceded after her stomach loudly interrupted their conversation. So, Hermione had transfigured their faces with a few waves of her wand and sent them away with a handful of muggle money.

As soon as they left, apparating from the front step of Grimmauld Place, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She loved the two boys with all her heart, but with everything that had happened recently, she was beyond thankful for the time she had alone. She shuffled into the library, ran her fingers across a line of books, and grabbed the first book that caught her eye.

Sinking into a burgundy chair, Hermione opened the black leather book.

Secrets of the Department of Mysteries: Lycoris Black (1947)

After reading the title, Hermione flipped quickly through the pages. Each handwritten letter called out to the curious soul within her, and she broke into a smile as she turned to the first page. A crude table of contents gave brief insight into what she might find within the pages. Running her finger down the page, Hermione's eyes widened as three words flashed before her eyes.

Designing the Veil (March and April)

Hermione flipped to the chapter and began reading, growing frustrated, as it took longer than usual as a result of Lycoris' messy handwriting. Clearly this pureblood hadn't paid attention in calligraphy class.

… The purpose of the Veil is to create an environment of stasis. The possibilities and uses are quite endless, but the idea is simple. Something that travels through the veil will reach a perfect equilibrium. Time will stop for all intents and purposes and only upon returning will the object resume aging and decaying.

Hermione couldn't believe what she was reading. This meant there was a way to return from the veil. Sirius could come back, along with whoever else was stuck in limbo. Hermione's vision blurred and she blinked her eyes to clear them. A wet spot appeared on the page below her and she realized she was starting to cry.

It has come to my knowledge that my superiors have chosen to take a different route with my Veil. (Can I even call it mine still?) Apparently a return trip is unnecessary for their wants. I can only assume they mean to send witches and wizards through the darkness. I have agreed publicly to follow their direction, but I cannot allow myself to create something so… permanent. Maybe I am looking out for the public or maybe I'm just looking out for myself.

A return trip is possible. I have guaranteed it. But for now this information shall only leave my head to travel to this page. I fear my superiors would be a little too willing to find faults in my theory if they were to discover what I had done.

It's a simple spell, in truth, based on the Accio charm.

"Accio ex tenebrae - ex obscurum."

According to my theories and research, the spell can only be effective if used in tandem with the subject's given name. If I had more time perhaps I could develop alternative options, but I fear this is all I can do at the moment…

Hermione shut the book and ran upstairs to Sirius's room. It was immaculately clean, as Harry had set to cleaning his godfather's house whenever he fell into moments of hopelessness. Hermione sat on Sirius' childhood bed and stared at the posters on the wall in front of her. The still images of muggle bands and motorbikes and bikini-clad models brought out the smallest of smiles. She took two deep breaths before standing, raising her wand and pointing it at the armchair in the corner of the room.

"Accio ex tenebrae, Sirius Orion Black, ex obscurum!" She closed her eyes and raised her voice, gaining confidence. "ACCIO EX TENEBRAE, SIRIUS ORION BLACK, EX OBSCURUM!"

A gust of wind seemed to pass straight through her and Hermione fell to her knees. Her muscles instantly weakened while a throbbing pain grew in her head. The room felt as if it were spinning out of control; the lights darkened. Then nothing.

Hermione couldn't pick her head up to look at the chair, but she knew no one would be in it. Her eyes were clenched shut as she berated herself in her head. What had she been thinking? She had just performed an unknown spell, an unknown powerful spell created by a member of the noble and most ancient house of Black. Stupid girl! She could almost hear Professor Snape berating her in the back of her mind. She had just wanted to try. The possibility that Harry could have his godfather back was all she needed to convince her to try.

On hands and knees, Hermione fought to catch her breath. Her inhales and exhales seemed strangely loud in the quiet room. She made a conscious effort to quiet and slow her breathing, and then realized it wasn't her breaths making all the noise.

Despite the pain in her head, Hermione shot up, eyes focused on the dark corner and chair that stood before her. Her eyes were not adjusted to the darkness and she couldn't even make out the outline of the chair yet.

"Sirius?" Her voice was shaky and she was surprised to find she was hoarse. A hand absentmindedly moved to her throat. She tried again. "Sirius?"

"Hello?" A voice just as quiet and rough as hers answered. Hermione sunk down to sit on her heels. Her eyes closed and wiped away the tears already building.

"Sirius? Please, please tell me it's you."

"Who is that? Where am I?"

"No. First, your name. Tell me your name."

"Um, Black. Sirius Black."

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione launched forward and threw herself into the arms of the surprised Sirius Black. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. The man in the chair sat stiff as a board as the young witch assaulted him with her hug. After a moment, he seemed to get over the shock and grasped her arms, pulling her away from him so he could see her face.

"Her-Hermione? What? Wait- what?"

"Oh, Sirius! You're back. You're really, really back."

"Hermione, what's going on? Where am I? What's happened?"

Hermione opened her mouth to start to explain, suddenly remembering the words of Sirius' relative. He had been in stasis. He had no idea what had happened, no idea about the Veil, his supposed death, or anything that had happened in the year that followed. Through the darkness, she sought out the man's eyes.

"Hermione? We're back! Where are you?" Harry's voice trailed from downstairs. Sirius' eyes widened at the sound of his godson's voice and he stood up from the chair. Still grasping Hermione's arms, he moved her with him. Footsteps grew louder as Harry and Ron made it to the hallway just outside Sirius' door.

"Hermione? Are you up here?"

"Harry, Sirius' door is open."

The two boys pulled out their wands and stepped forward towards the door. Harry pushed the door open further to see into the room.

"Lumos Maxima." Harry's wand illuminated the room, bathing Sirius and Hermione in a soft light. The four stayed perfectly still for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, it was Ron who broke the silence.

"Bloody hell, Hermione. As if breaking into the ministry wasn't enough, you had to go and find a way to bring Sirius back. Tell me, how long have you been working on this and why didn't you tell us?"

Hermione and Harry stared at Ron and his insane ability to take Sirius' return in so quickly. The confusion on Sirius' face was growing as this was the second time he heard mention of himself coming back. But the last thing he remembered was fighting at the Ministry. So where had he gone?

"Sirius?" Harry began, stepping toward the older man. He glanced at Hermione. "Is it really him?"

"He-he only appeared seconds before you and Ron returned," she answered, her voice still weak and shaky. "But from all I can tell, um, it's him. It's really him, Harry."

Harry looked back at his godfather and pulled him into a hug. Returning the hug, Sirius was forced to let go of the witch before him. Unaware of just how much she had been using Sirius as support, Hermione felt the exhaustion and pain return to her as she struggled to remain upright. She smiled weakly as the two men hugged each other before succumbing to the effects of the spell. The room went dark again and Hermione barely registered her shoulder hitting the floor harshly before the world disappeared.

A/N: *Greetings Reader, **Rest in Peace