A second chapter. Its so relaxing to write and just be in the story for a while. Although its 1am and im in college in the morning-shame on me! Lost track of time! Enjoy :)

-H


"Hermione, dear, just set these streamers up going from that corner to over there somewhere", Mrs Weasley vaguely pointing her wand over to the opposite corner of the kitchen, as she cooked up delights for Sirius' surprise birthday party.

"Yes Mrs Weasley" Hermione replied, muttering an incantation under her breath, the streamers rising up to where they ought to be.

It had been a week since Hermione embarrassed herself in front of the birthday boy, and she had found it hard not to blush in his presence.

The whole kitchen in Grimmauld Place was alive with activity; Ginny magically making various nibbly bits (inheriting her mother's skill for cooking); Remus Lupin enchanting Sirius' birthday cake, which was in the shape of a huge, black, shaggy dog, to sing along to Happy Birthday and Fred and George 'helping' with the decoration, which more or less meant charming balloons to whizz around the room at top speed, and happy birthdays banners that attacked you like a Boa Constrictor, only not fatal. Hermione could sense that they soon would be asked to leave the room, just as Harry and Ron had been half an hour previously for being a hindrance rather than a help. She walked over to a very pregnant Tonks and sat down.

"Wotcher Hermione" said Tonks, "It's looking great in here now!"

Hermione looked round, admiring her efforts, "It is isn't it! I hope he likes them."

"He does indeed", a familiar voice floated in from the doorway.

"SIRIUS!" Molly squealed, "This was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I'm very surprised Molly, don't you worry. You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble just for little old me." He said with a wink.

Hermione felt herself blush even though the wink wasn't aimed at her.

"Get a grip!" She thought to herself, as she watched how he interacted with everyone.

She wondered how she hadn't noticed this before. She had never looked close enough to see this side of him. She'd always looked upon him as Harry's Godfather, just plain Sirius. But now she saw Sirius. How sweet he was with Molly, how friendly he was with Arthur, how much he loved Remus and Tonks. She looked on as he had his hand on Tonk's stomach and at the beam that shone from his face. She couldn't help but smile to herself at this revelation.


Slowly but surely Grimmauld Place filled up with familiar faces, some of which Hermione hadn't seen in years, all to wish Sirius a happy birthday. Hermione was chatting to Neville Longbottom, who was now apprentice Herbologist to Proffesser Sprout, and happened to glance over his shoulder, to where she could see Sirius speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt, who took over for Minister Of Magic after the war, and Elphias Doge. His eyes rose to meet hers, and for a split second it felt as though the air fizzled around her. She blushed and declined her head, and he gave his signature wink that made her knees go weak.

"That's enough mead for one night!" She thought to herself, shaking her head as she put her glass down. "Lightweight."

She carried on round the room, conversing with different people, genuinely pleased to see so many of the old order members she hadn't seen since the height of the war, although all the while her eyes searching for another glimpse of the guest of honour. She spotted Ron, Harry and Ginny, and made her way over to them.

"Hey guys!" She said, hugging each one of them. Even though they lived together, barring Ginny, she didn't see them often because she often worked nights at St Mungo's brewing potions that had to be done at night, whilst Harry's job as an Auror took up his days, and Ron's job, well, that took him all over the place, having finally got some confidence and becoming keeper for The Chudley Cannons.

"Hey" the three of them chorused.

"Oh Hermione, meet Lydia" Ron introduced the simpering blonde hanging all over him like a rash.

Hermione looked swiftly at Ginny, whose eyebrows seemed to be indicating that this was Ron's flavour of the month, or more like flavour of the week as it was these days. His status of war hero had been greatly elevated by his Order of Merlin First Class, and then by his Quidditch stardom (The Cannons were now nearing the top of the league thanks to him), and because of that, girls were flocking after him. None ever lasted more than a week; Hermione wondered why he even bothered introducing them. She took Lydia's hand and smiled politely, her eyes still trying to find Sirius.


Gradually, the later it got, guests started to drift out in twos and threes, eventually leaving only Hermione, Sirius, Harry and Ginny. And Ron, but he had passed out earlier in the night, his weekly storming off, and his snoring that could be heard from the lounge.

Happy birthday Sirius mate, we've had a great night", Harry said, embracing his God Father in a manly hug, and then Ginny hugged him tight.

"It's been fantastic guys, thanks for everything" he replied, yawning. "I'm going to go sit in the library for a while, you three gonna join me for a night cap?"

"Not us Sirius, we're gonna floo home" Ginny replied, "Harry's off tomorrow so he's coming back to mine with me", she winked suggestively, causing Harry to blush.

"Come on you, someone's had a bit too much to drink", and with that, he picked Ginny up and slung her over his back, her all the while laughing and playfully kicking at him.

He stepped into the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder and said "Ginny's Flat", and in a plume of smoke, the couple disappeared.

"And then there were two" Sirius yawned again, going over to the cabinet and pulling out a bottle of Ogden's Firewhisky.

"Oh no Sirius, I've had enough tonight" Hermione said yawning.

She began to head to bed, when he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her round so she was inches away from him.

"Please 'Mione, it's my birthday" he looked at her with puppy dog eyes that no one could ever resist.

Shaking her head in defeat, she grabbed two shot glasses, filled them up and gave Sirius one.

"Happy birthday" she said, and knocked back the browny liquid.

It burned as it went down her throat, making her eyes water and settled in her stomach, tingling wherever it touched. She smiled weakly and he poured her another one.

"It gets easier the more you drink" Sirius winked, and drank another one down in one.

"Il so regret this in the morning" Hermione laughed, scrunched up her nose and shotted her second glass, and he was right, it was far easier than her initial drink. She looked up from her glass to see Sirius looking at her with a smile.

"What?" She asked him blushing.

"Nothing 'Mione" He said sitting down on the couch.

He motioned for her to sit next to him, and she sat down timidly, leaving space between the two. They carried on drinking the Firewhisky with friendly conversation, getting drunker and drunker and closer and closer, until Hermione was practically sitting on his lap. They were laughing at how drunk each other were, Sirius imitating Hermione's head sway, and Hermione imitating his slur. As the laugh came to an end, Hermione realised how close to his face she was, and began to blush. As she moved her face away, Sirius pulled her chin up to look at him, and she looked into his deep grey eyes. His head began to move closer to hers, she closed her eyes and...

"Hiccup" Hermione's whole body jumped up. She clapped her hand over her mouth mortified.
"Hiccup" Again, her body convulsed, as Sirius broke out into peals of laughter.

"Its..Hiccup...not funny...Hiccup" Hermione tried to speak, but the hiccups were coming on strong and fast. Seeing Sirius rolling about the floor in hysterics only made things worse, and soon she joined in, holding her sides in mirth as her hiccups slowly subsided.

They both lay on the floor panting for breath, occasionally letting out a giggle. They both eventually calmed down enough to sit up with their backs against the sofa.


"Kreacher!" Sirius yelled.

With a loud 'pop' Kreacher the house elf appeared, Regulus's locket proudly on his chest.

"Yes master, what can Kreacher get for you and the mu..mistress?" Hermione smiled at his slip up, remembering how he used to act around her.

"Two cups of coffee please Kreacher" Sirius replied, as he disapparated with another 'pop', only to return a moment later with two cups of steaming coffee.

"Thank you Kreacher" Hermione and Sirius said simultaneously, causing their drunken selves to begin laughing again.

After they had calmed down for a second time, and were sipping their coffee, Sirius struck up a conversation.

"'Mione, what do you think Ginny would say if Harry proposed".

She looked over intrigued, and replied "Why do you ask?"

"No reason" Sirius said as he looked down into his coffee.

Hermione began to smile, cogs turning in her head. "What do you know Sirius?"

"You tell me what you know first!" he argued playfully, prodding her in the arm.

"All I'm saying is, Ginny's been waiting for 3 long years" Hermione replied with a devious smile.

Sirius could see what was going on in Hermione's head. That was what he loved most about her; her intelligence, her ability to piece things together before anyone else had begun to try. He returned her devious smile.

"Harry's been, well shall I say, waiting for the right time. For 3 years."

Hermione put her hand over her mouth in shock, and giggled. "Well, at least it's a story for the grandkids! I wonder if.."

She broke off, and pondered for a while, thinking. Sirius watched her, the way her eyebrows crinkled as she thought, the way she sipped at her coffee with her beautiful soft lips, which he'd love to kiss over and over again. "One day" he thought to himself.

"What if," Hermione began, "we create the perfect opportunity for Harry to propose seeing as he is incapable of planning anything. Candles, soft music, dinner, flowers, the works. All Harry needs is a ring and the words."

Sirius smiled, seeing how this could actually work.

"Just call us Cupid eh 'Mione". She laughed and stumbled up.

"All that brain work has made me sleepy. Night Sirius." With new found confidence, probably Dutch courage, she blew him a kiss and winked before running up the stairs into her room.

Sirius smiled, not realising he was falling for Hermione Granger.


Please tell me what you think :)

-H